False Masks
by Mandalorian Runescaper
Summary: A Mass Effect/SWTOR crossover. An unconventional Jedi Knight finds himself transported to Omega just after Commander Shepard recruited their squadmates and departed. What purpose can a sworn guardian of the Republic find there? This story will focus mainly on OCs, however canon characters will appear. Takes place during ME2, but is a stand-alone story. Feedback is much appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Unfamiliar Surroundings**

For the third time in the past hour, a group of four-eyed aliens approached the wandering figure, gazing longingly at his unique armour and the heavy looking rifle that he held calmly in his hands. As with the two groups before them, a sudden change seemed to come over the aliens as they drew near, causing them to withdraw. Why bother the lone individual? He was not troubling them in any way, and besides, the unfamiliar gun looked absolutely deadly.

The figure casually walked past them, the dull white plates of their armour faintly reflecting what dim light managed to penetrate the grime of the surrounding air. The armour covered their entire body, including their face, making the individual extremely imposing. The bulky rifle that they held in their hands was mostly black, with a grey section before the stock which housed the ammunition for the weapon. Ammunition which the stranger had in plenty and that he would probably have to use if many more of the inhabitants were like those that he had encountered so far. A dark brown hooded cloak that the man wore completed the image of one who was both mysterious and deadly.

As he turned the corner at the end of the corridor that he had been walking through and so left the members of the unfamiliar race behind, the figure uttered a sigh. Nothing was recognisable. Well, nothing except the atmosphere and a few aspects of the place's appearance. Regarding the latter, his current location reminded him somewhat of the lower levels of Coruscant. There were neon signs that barely functioned, groups of figures that glared suspiciously at others as they passed, and refuse was left to rot outside the doors of dingy apartments. As for the former, the same atmosphere of despair and hopelessness lingered like the filth clogging the air, a fitting metaphor, the man thought grimly.

Unfortunately though, while the emotions present and look of the place were familiar, albeit in an unpleasant way, the various races he passed were not. Most obviously (since they had been the only ones to accost him so far) there were the four-eyed ones who seemed to hate him (though to his knowledge he had never met one, let alone done something that could have turned them against him as a species), who also seemed to take issue with most of the other races that he had passed. They were not all that dissimilar to Sith Purebloods as far as the man could tell. They carried themselves with the same attitude of smug superiority that the primary race of the Republic's great enemy, although they were dressed far more shabbily than the Sith Purebloods that the man had met.

Secondly there were the ones that strongly resembled human females, except for their short tentacles instead of hair. Perhaps they were from a similar world to Ryloth, which had birthed the Twi'leks? Regardless, he had seen not any males of this species, which was certainly curious.

Thirdly were the avian looking people who interestingly enough possessed mandibles that opened and closed during conversation with their fellows and with members of the other races. They also seemed to have an armoured carapace that looked like it would make a formidable defence against physical blows such as unarmed strikes. Their small, beady eyes followed the man suspiciously as he walked past a group of four of them who were in conversation with one of the blue female aliens, examining the weapon he carried and also the armour he wore. These seemed like they would pose a greater risk than members of the four-eyed race. Members of the latter had analysed his equipment with a hunger born of greed, the desire to take his possessions for themselves, either for monetary gain or just because they liked the look of them. This avian race however seemed to be sizing him up, looking for weak points. All those he passed seemed to do it almost subconsciously. Did their race have mandatory military service? They looked at him the way that trained Republic or Sith Empire soldiers examined an enemy before engaging them, hoping to discover any weaknesses present within an opponent before striking.

There were many other unfamiliar races as well. There were hissing skeletal looking aliens who seemed to possess the ability to talk in short, broken sentences only, huge lumbering brutes with armoured crests who seemed to command the skeletal beings, and many other species, who for the most part gave him a curious look and moved on.

The figure made his deductions about each species by analysing their appearances and body language, occasionally touching their minds with his own in order to learn more. He was extremely careful with both techniques however; he was in a mostly unknown place and so did not wish to engage in violence if it could at all be avoided.

This caution was why he had avoided fighting the four-eyed aliens that continued to harass him the first time he had been approached by them. As he had stopped by a viewport to examine the stars outside (to his irritation realising that he recognised nothing that could help him deduce where in the galaxy he was), he had been drawn out of his thoughts by the approach of one of these individuals. His greeting received little more than a glare from the man, whose sneer stretched an unpleasant scar across the right-side of his lips obscenely.

Unfortunately, the alien's response had been in a language that the man had never heard. Worse still was the fact that the man had greeted the stranger in Galactic Basic, the main language used in Republic space, yet the alien clearly had not recognised it, else he would likely have responded in kind.

After a few seconds or so of total failure in communication by both men, the alien had barked out an order. Within ten seconds the newcomer had been completely surrounded by no less than six other members of the same race, who glared at him like he had done them some great insult. The presumed leader of the thugs smirked as his cronies closed in, leaving the man little alternative unless he wished to resort to violence. As he did not, he locked eyes (as well as he could considering the other man had four) and spoke clearly and calmly.

"You and your friends do not wish to harm me."

The leader froze for a moment and then replied in a monotone in his strange language, presumably repeating the command.

"You will all depart and reconsider your attitude towards strangers."

The leader nodded, as did his followers and the seven of them turned and walked by the man like he wasn't there, within less than a minute vanishing around a corner like a bad dream.

* * *

By the time that the man had stopped seeing new races, a further two hours had passed, meaning that he had been wherever he was for three hours in total, and he seemed to be in no better position than when he had started. None of the new races spoke Basic, and while he had encountered some fellow humans during his exploration, they had looked at him with bafflement when he had attempted to engage them in conversation.

There was however one small ray of hope. It seemed as if all of the various races on the station (it was presumably a space station, due to the viewport that he had encountered earlier and the fact that there were none of the more common signs associated with travelling via either hyperspace or through the use of sublight engines) along with the humans, were capable of understanding one another, even though each species spoke a different language, if their differences in vocal range were any indication.

It stood to reason then that everyone on the station had some kind of translator on them, in order for communication between such a diverse collection of races to be possible. This meant that not only did such devices exist on the station, but they must also be readily available and easy to obtain. Yet the question remained about how to get one. The thought of stealing from anyone disgusted the man, particularly as most of those who glared at him seemed to do so more from fearful suspicion and less from actual malice.

Yet he could not buy one as a result of both his inability to understand anyone around him, and the fact that he had no currency on his person. Whatever had brought him to this place had left the man with his clothing, armour and weapons, but nothing else. For the first time the man found himself wishing for another group of the four-eyed race to confront him so that he could manipulate one into giving him a translation device. Given that he had only just reached his conclusion regarding the translator, he had not thought to get one from any of the three groups of thugs that had troubled him earlier and since then he had been left to wonder in peace.

As he reflected on what could be done to obtain a translator without stealing it from a passer-by or a shopkeeper (if they were even any on the station), he reached an intersection in the station's dingy corridors. There was nothing ahead of him but a filthy, metal wall of the same kind as the walls of the corridors that he had gone through earlier, with there being two possible directions to go in. The man hesitated, left or right? He could no longer just follow the corridor in one direction as he had been doing before and he could not read the garish signs that marked where each corridor led.

His musing was interrupted when something small and blue smashed into his chest plate with a sharp cry. Startled, he glanced down to see a figure in an environment suit of a strange design shake their head to clear it before looking up at him in fright. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that this was a member of yet another unfamiliar species. She (he assumed that it was a she as the contours of her body were similar to that of a human woman) had only three digits on each hand, but aside from that, from the torso up she could have passed for human. Her legs however were very different, with shins that gracefully curved backwards to meet her ankles and then her feet, which like her hands possessed only three digits. Overall then, the stranger seemed like a combination of a human, one of the avian race (with the number of digits and leg structure he had noticed earlier), and finally one of the short and round aliens that he had glimpsed briefly during his exploration, due to the enviro-suit. In short, she was very much new to him, like everything he had encountered so far.

As the man continued his musing regarding this new acquaintance, the woman slowly backed away from him, hands raised in a non-threatening manner, pleading softly in her unfamiliar language, a musical lilt present to her words, along with a slight distortion from speaking through a helmet. The man didn't need a translator to know that she was afraid of him; he was much taller than her and between his armour and rifle, likely also terrifying.

As he inspected her closer, the man realised that she concealed her face behind a near-opaque blue mask that was several shades lighter than the dark blue of her suit, with her eyes glowing brightly through it and the tip of what appeared to be a petite nose just visible. His own mask by contrast was the same dull white as the rest of his armour, with an ice blue visor at eye level for sight and a vocabulator built in just in front of his mouth so that his voice could be heard clearly, although with a slight hint of static. The woman was also very thin, to the point of being half-starved for a human, and a desperate air seemed to cling to her. She was in short a rather pathetic sight, even among the dreariness of the station. The man opened his mouth to reassure her.

"It's all right, miss."

At his words she seemed to shrink back even more, backing up against the wall of the intersection opposite him. After a moment she began trembling and started sobbing slightly.

The man felt a sudden swell of pity, the woman was clearly in a dire situation, running away from someone or something probably, and had crashed into him of all people. The one person on this force blasted station who couldn't reassure her due to something as simple as a language barrier. He paused for a moment and then, against instincts that had been screaming at him to be cautious since he woke up in this damn place three hours prior, the man slung his rifle over his back and slowly held his hands out to his sides.

The woman's sobs slowed upon seeing this and she cautiously took a step in his direction, only to freeze upon a harsh shout echoing from somewhere just beyond the left corridor. She swiftly glanced in that direction, then at the right corridor and then back at him. Seemingly making her mind up, the unnamed woman quickly darted behind him, gasping slightly in pain as she did so. The man tilted his head as she moved, examining the way in which she ran, the reason behind her action quickly becoming clear. The man hadn't noticed when she had first appeared, as he had been lost in thought, and had been too concerned with trying to communicate with the woman after to notice, but she was limping heavily, favouring her left leg. Clearly she had received some kind of injury to her ankle or foot.

The man glanced at the various corridors around him. If she had tried to run then whomever she was running from would likely have caught her, hence she had hidden behind him for protection. The man calmly squared his shoulders as a second shout followed the first and seven of the now unfortunately too-familiar four-eyed aliens rounded the corner and came upon them, the same seven that had troubled him earlier.

 _Clearly Master Dorass was right about my ability to persuade others using the force needing work._

The seven stopped as they recognised him, before throwing curses at him in their guttural language, several brandishing weapons that resembled blasters but were less bulky, also differing from his own weapon in seeming to be built out of some kind of low-grade plasteel or plasteel equivalent. Their leader held up one hand and they fell silent at his command. He then stepped forward, pointed to the woman behind the armoured man and grunted something that made the woman cry even harder than before, then looking back at the man who shielded her.

 _He's afraid. He knows that I did something to him and his men, but not what. He does not want to test what I am capable of and so wants me to let him take her without fighting me._

The four-eyed alien stood waiting for an answer and so the man indulged him.

"No."

The leader sneered at him, clearly recognising the defiance if not the meaning of the word and turned to his men. The man weighed his options.

 _I let them leave last time, gave them another chance and they have continued to cause trouble. Regardless of what this woman may have done, I doubt that it warranted seven armed thugs. If they leave here then they will only continue to cause misery and perhaps try and hurt this woman or others again in the future._

As the leader shouted to his men the man swiftly raised one hand and the seven were thrown back by a wall of incredible force, smashing into one another and then the wall behind them. Three were killed instantly, the other four bellowing in pain and rage while trying to pick up their weapons, which they had dropped during the telekinetic blast. Within an eye blink, the rifle was off of the man's back and in his hands, bolts of scarlet energy hissing through the air and blasting three heads to bloody mist in less than a second.

The leader roared and sprang up from the floor, managing to sidestep the shot that was then aimed at him with surprising grace, considering the sloppiness of his men, and grabbed onto the man's rifle, causing the two of them to wrestle over it. The armoured figure slammed his head forward, his mask crashing into the four-eyed one's face and causing his nose to break and blood to flow freely. He then rammed his knee between his opponent's legs and as the latter began to fall back, threatening to take him down to the floor with him as they both still held the rifle, he released the weapon and let his hand fall to his hip.

Thinking that he had won the struggle over the weapon, the leader, gasping in pain from the two blows that he had received, aimed the rifle at its owner as the latter drew a silver and black cylinder from his belt. The leader laughed at the sight, even as a blade of sapphire energy ignited and swiftly cut his head from his body.

* * *

The armoured man calmly walked forward and picked up his rifle from where the headless four-eyed alien had dropped it. He then slung it back over his back and turned off his blade, attaching it to his belt and then concealing it under his cloak. He gazed around for a moment and reached out with his senses, confirming that there were no others with hostile intent in the immediate area. He then turned and walked back the way he came, stopping in front of the alien woman, who was now completely hysterical, crying in a ball in the middle of the floor.

The miserable figure looked up at her saviour as he approached, before trying to speak though her tears, begging for him to let her live and trying to back away. The man followed her, not saying anything and then slowly extended his hand towards her. She looked at it in confusion for a moment before slowly, hesitantly, reaching out and grasping onto it, her eyes searching his mask for any sign of deceit. The man then gently placed his other arm under her elbow and slowly lifted her onto her feet. The two of them stared at one another for a moment as the still crying woman slowly calmed down, the terror she had endured slowly fading. Still struggling to speak, she took a deep breath to steady herself and then spoke.

"Th-thank you for s-saving me hu-human."

At least she assumed that he was human. She could see that he had the same body shape with five digits on each hand, the same leg structure, and a broader frame than a quarian male would have. Yet, he was far taller than most of his species, standing head and shoulders above her, and he would have being imposing even without being fully armoured and carrying such strange weapons. She had never seen anything like the rifle he had used to such devastating effect and less still anything like the blue energy sword that he had concealed on his person. He had also moved with a speed and grace that had been astonishing, every move that he had employed against the batarians that had hounded her having been perfectly calculated.

The man responded, presumably with a question given the tone that he used and the way in which he slightly stressed the final word, but none of it made any kind of sense to her. The quarian frowned to herself, was her omni-tool broken?

She slowly held up a hand to the human to show that she wasn't a threat and then activated her omni-tool, glancing at him in surprise as he seemed to freeze slightly in shock as a result of her doing so. Her confusion deepened. Humans had been a part of the galactic community for decades, keelah they had obtained a council seat just two years ago! Yet this human seemed like he hadn't the slightest clue what an omni-tool was!

Then it struck her. Perhaps it wasn't her omni-tool that was at fault, perhaps he didn't have one! Swallowing her disgust, the woman knelt down next to one of the dead batarians and lifted his arm, gently removed his omni-tool and the let his limb drop back to the ground. She turned to the human, who was watching her curiously and held up the device to him. The man tilted his head at her in confusion and she pointed to her mouth and then ear before offering the omni-tool again. The man nodded in understanding and then held out his arm to her.

The quarian blinked slightly in surprise. He didn't even know how to attach it? Was this human from some kind of backwater colony? Even on the Flotilla, where resources were sparse, every pilgrim was given an omni-tool of some sort, even though they were normally very outdated. Shaking her head slightly, she gently attached the device to his wrist and enabled its functions.

Stepping back, she locked eyes with her rescuer and addressed him calmly and clearly. "Can you understand me now?"

The human recoiled slightly in shock before glancing at his wrist in wonder. He then looked back at her and spoke again in his unfamiliar language.

The quarian groaned internally. It seemed that the human only spoke a language that was not included in the batarian's translation software, probably a local language that was only used by a small human colony and so was not widely known. She stepped forward and gently took a hold of the human's wrist again and then input a few new commands. She then released the man's arm.

"Nod if you can understand me, please."

The human nodded once at her command. The woman opposite him smiled for the first time that day. "Thank you, I have enabled a function on your omni-tool, the device on your wrist which acts as a translator. Please speak as much as you can so that it can construct an understanding of your language, which in turn it will translate into mine and so allow me to understand you. It shouldn't take more than a few moments of your time."

The human nodded again and began talking. The quarian was struck by how odd his accent was. It seemed cultured but did not match with any human that she had heard in person or via the Extranet. Further proof that he was a member of a smaller group of humans who lived in a somewhat isolated colony somewhere then. She shook herself out of her musings as the human's voice suddenly seemed to shift, the software doing its work.

"-tion, there is peace, there is no ignorance there is knowledge." The human looked like he was about to continue but the quarian held up a hand, a feeling of excitement beginning to rise inside her.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

The human tilted his head at her and then spoke again, "There is no emotion, there is peace, there is no ignorance, there is knowledge". He paused for a moment. "You understood that?"

She nodded tentatively, "The translation software must be working well, thankfully. It was getting a little frustrating not being able to understand you."

The human laughed, his deep voice gently rolling off of the walls around them, "It was wasn't it? Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"Sh-Shaela. Shaela'Tole nar Kilal." The fear had returned. He had needed her before when she had helped him with the translator, but now that she had done that… had he just been using her? He had killed the batarians that had chased her with no effort, what if he was going to do the same to her? Quarians had a reputation among the other races and she had been running away from them when she bumped into him. Oh keelah, he probably thought that she was a thief!

The human clearly noticed her rising fear and sought to calm her. "It's okay now, Shaela," he spoke softly, "I'm not going to hurt you and they can't, not anymore." He gestured to the dead batarians, whom Shaela had completely forgotten about in her attempt to bridge the language barrier between them.

Shaela took a deep breath to steady herself. If he had wanted to hurt her then he could have already done so the instant that she had completed her task. He had no reason to keep talking to her if he had wished her harm and she doubted that he thought that she could have done anything to stop him if he had tried. She remembered the strange but powerful weapons that he had used along with… biotics? Invisible biotics? Did such a thing exist?

"How did you… I mean there were seven of them and you just tore through them like they were nothing! What was that rifle, a-and that laser sword you have and how did you throw them like that? Was it biotics? Why even help me? N-not that I'm not grateful, it's just that I've never seen anything like that!"

The human seemed lost for words for a moment as a result of her barrage of questions and took a moment to collect himself. Then he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind him and responded with a joking tone, "You ask all of these questions, yet you have yet to do me the courtesy of asking me my name after I asked you yours."

"Oh keelah, I'm so sorry! That was so rude of me and you saved my life and I'm sorry that I'm talking so much again, just sorry, sorry!"

The human smirked under his mask, not that Shaela could see. He then uncrossed his arms and introduced himself. "I'm Rassen. Jedi Knight Rassen Voratt."

Shaela opened her mouth to respond, but Rassen beat her to it. "I've already gathered that you have many questions. I do to, believe me. However we should probably leave this place before we continue this discussion. Those seven probably had friends and I imagine that they will be missed." Rassen paused for a moment and then glanced at her left ankle. "I noticed that you were limping earlier, do you need medical attention?"

"I… oh keelah, I completely forgot about that!" Shaela gently shifted some weight onto her left leg and winced at the sharp stabbing pain that suddenly throbbed through her ankle. "It's not too bad, I can make it back to my apartment I think." She managed to grit out.

Rassen clearly wasn't convinced however. "Like I said, those seven likely had friends and with the way that you can't apply too much weight to your left leg you clearly aren't going anywhere too quickly." He seemed to think for a moment. "Is it at all possible that, if it's not too much trouble, I could help you back to your apartment and stay there for a short while?"

Shaela looked at him in surprise. Aside from his obvious unfamiliarity with omni-tools she had assumed that Rassen had been on Omega for at least a while. How else would he have acquired such unique weapons if not from the station's rampant black market? She allowed her confusion to enter into her voice. "You don't have anywhere to go yourself?"

"No, I woke up in this place three hours ago according to my chronometer and have no idea where we are beyond the fact that it is probably a space station. I also don't have the slightest clue as to how I got here. I take it that you know where we are?"

Shaela nodded, "We're on Omega, it's a very important space station in the Terminus Systems. I have an apartment not far from here, it's the least that I can do after you helped me."

Rassen smiled beneath his mask. "It was my pleasure Shaela. Once we get to your place I will gladly answer your questions and would like to ask you a few of my own if that is acceptable?"

Shaela nodded to him, "It is. Like you said though, we should probably go now, I don't want any more trouble for today."

Rassen followed her as Shaela started walking down the corridor that led to the right. He hadn't a clue what the Terminus Systems were and had never heard of Omega either, but for the first time in the past three hours, he had some hope that there was at least some good on this damn station.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I was completely blown away to find that the first chapter of False Masks received more than one-hundred views in less than twenty-four hours after publication, as well as a number of favourites and follows. As a result, I couldn't help wanting to get the second chapter ready and published to the site as soon as possible. Please let me know what you think, this is my first real (I don't count my old KOTOR one-shot) fanfic and I'd like to know what's good about it (if anything), as well as what can be improved. Anyway, on with the show!**

 **Chapter 2: Revelations**

Shaela made sure to keep looking around for further threats as she and Rassen left the bodies of her attackers behind. She made sure to walk as quickly as her injury would allow, since there could have been any number of other thugs nearby who were spoiling for a fight. The combat between the lone human and the batarian gang had been terrifying in its ferocity and she had no desire to witness any more violence for tonight. Furthermore, the confrontation had been deafeningly loud in the tight confines of the corridor where it had taken place. The shriek of Rassen's bizarre yet devastating rifle in particular still rang in her ears. All of this contributed to her wanting to get back to the relative safety of her apartment as soon as possible.

From time to time she turned to glance at her new companion, who much like her surveyed their surroundings for any further threat, occasionally glancing behind them to ensure that no one caught them off-guard by attacking while their backs were turned. She wondered again what exactly he was. He had called himself a 'Jedi Knight', whatever that was, but the words meant nothing to her. Perhaps that was what the soldiers back at whichever colony he was presumably from called themselves? Regardless, once they got to her apartment it would be a little safer and she could work on getting a proper explanation out of him.

Despite her efforts to observe her surroundings however, Shaela couldn't help but speculate on other aspects of her rescuer. What she found most confusing was the man's lack of familiarity with, well… everything. Not knowing what an omni-tool was wasn't impossible, she supposed, although it was still incredibly unlikely, even if she was right about him being from some kind of backwater colony that didn't have ready access to the technology. His rifle and whatever that laser sword of his had been undermined her theory however. She had never seen anything like the two weapons before and both had proven to be utterly lethal. Those must have been advanced prototypes of some sort, but how would he have acquired those if he was from some backwards colony? Even the design of the armour he wore and the cloak that covered his back and concealed much of his head (she assumed that his mask only covered his face) weren't something that she had seen before. Shaela finally decided that she wasn't going to figure out his origins without more information and so decided to settle on Rassen being from a colony for the moment. The frustrated quarian then turned her mind to something else that had been just as confusing.

When she had rushed to hide behind him, he had shielded her without a complaint.

Shaela had only been away from the Migrant Fleet for a couple of months, but her experience with humans had not been a positive one. Even those that were not outright hostile had still looked at her with a large degree of distrust, even if she had been simply passing them in the street. They were not as bad as many of the other races, probably since they had not been a part of the galactic community long enough for the rumours about her people to have become as universally accepted. Nonetheless, until today she had yet to meet a human that did not have at least some kind of preconceived bias towards quarians.

Rassen Voratt was different to any of the humans that she had encountered. Not just physically, although between his strange equipment and height he certainly stood out, but rather because it seemed as if he had never met a quarian before. In fact, it didn't even seem as if he knew how the other species treated her people.

 _Perhaps he would be willing to tell me about where he's from if I asked? From what little I know about humans, they are a very diverse species in many ways. If he is from a human colony then maybe it cut itself off from all outside influence. That would explain why he didn't know what to do with an omni-tool, the fact that at first the batarian's omni-tool couldn't translate his language and also his unique armour and weapons. But how did he get to Omega? It's not as if he could have negotiated passage aboard a ship since his language wasn't registered in the omni-tool's translation software and he didn't even have one in the first place._

* * *

Rassen had been keeping an eye on a particularly large alien that stood on all fours when he suddenly heard an unfamiliar sound to his left. Upon turning his head to face the source of the noise, he saw that Shaela appeared to be shaking slightly, her thin shoulders vibrating as a result of whatever it was that she was doing. After a moment he realised what exactly the noise was.

She was giggling.

It seemed that the habit was not restricted just to humans, Twi'leks and members of the other races that he had met during his time with the Jedi, since Shaela was certainly _giggling_. With all that she had seen today, what could the poor woman possibly find funny? Rassen shook his head in amusement, given his unfamiliarity with Omega as well as its technology and inhabitants, he probably wouldn't understand the joke if he asked. He opened his mouth to ask her anyway, but a slight shift in the force caused him to freeze in place, a slight frown overtaking his features behind his ever present mask.

He had felt a new presence leave one of the apartments that he and Shaela had just walked past, which seemed to dominate this area of Omega. The presence halted for a moment before he felt its attention shift to him, his back still turned to it, before it finally focused its attention on Shaela. Whoever it was then hesitantly approached the pair as Rassen stood frozen, sensing the person's desire to speak with him before they could say anything and turning to face them as they walked quickly to meet him.

It was a human woman, who appeared to be middle-aged, but looked more than capable of looking after herself, judging by the bulky pistol that she wore on her right hip. She paused for a moment as the Jedi locked eyes with her through his mask, then shook her head and continued until she stood a few paces away from him.

The newcomer appeared confused at the sight before her and then glanced back at Shaela, before returning her attention to him. She seemed to take a deep breath to collect her thoughts. When she had done so, she decided to opt for the direct approach.

"Um, sir? Are you with that quarian over there?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Rassen noticed Shaela freeze a few steps ahead, since she had not sensed the approach of the stranger and had continued on her way none the wiser. She then quickly turned and walked back a few paces so that she stood next to him again. Rassen grimaced. The unknown woman had asked a question that was… insensitively worded to put it lightly, but it seemed as through Shaela had taken it as a great personal insult. The mirth that had radiated from her a moment earlier had evaporated, replaced by white-hot rage that surprised him in its intensity. It was a complete change from her previous emotional state, which had him puzzled. He was clearly missing something important. The woman had specifically asked if he was with a quarian (he assumed that was the name of Shaela's species) rather than just referring to her as a woman, or person. He then thought back the group of four-eyed aliens that had been after her earlier. Was Shaela often singled out due to her species? If so then why?

Rassen was increasingly looking forward to the conversation that he and Shaela had agreed to have later.

* * *

Why was this woman so quick to lump her with the prejudiced view held of her people by most members of the other races? Shaela had never met her before and had always tried to avoid trouble with others regardless of race in the past. She was a proud daughter of the Migrant Fleet and never stolen anything or even broken any laws. In fact the only way that she could see herself doing so was if there was no other choice available and she was truly desperate. She had always tried to live her life by the morals taught to her by her parents and was proud of who she was. Who was this woman to judge her? She wasn't a quarian, how could she possibly know the first thing about her people?

The woman was clearly unnerved by Rassen's appearance, as she kept glancing nervously at the rifle over his back and the mask that concealed his face. She was so occupied with looking warily at him as she waited for an answer to her question that she had temporarily forgotten the now furious quarian as she drew level with Rassen, who from what little she could see of his body language, appeared irritated with the woman for confronting them and stopping them from reaching her apartment. She was about to scream an insult at the woman for her ignorance and racism before Rassen, seemingly sensing her intention, calmly held up a hand and then pointed back the way that they had come before doing the same in the other direction. Shaela swallowed in anger before calming down slightly, understanding his reasoning. Sound travelled easily around this part of Omega. It would be better for both of them if they avoided attracting any more unnecessary attention than they already had.

* * *

Rassen slowly crossed his arms as he finally answered the woman's question. "Shaela here helped me out with a difficult situation just a little earlier today. If it had not been for her then we would not be having this conversation." That was true, even if it was in a sense that the woman would never had guessed. Firstly, without having Shaela's help with the… omni-tool as she had called it, Rassen would have been unable to effectively communicate with the woman in front of him. Secondly, even if he had somehow managed to work out that the omni-tool could translate languages, he still would have had nowhere to go to and could have very well wandered the station until one of its inhabitants was fortunate enough to catch him off guard and kill or seriously injure him. At the end of the day Shaela had chosen to help him, even though she could have tried to run immediately after he had put his weapons away and he would have been back at where he was before they had met. She had shown him the only kindness that he had seen so far in this unfamiliar place and he would not let anyone challenge his decision to join up with her, even if it was only temporarily, without a very good reason.

The woman blinked in surprise and then looked over at Shaela, the quarian likewise crossing her arms, anger restrained but clearly present with the obvious tension that manifested itself through her slightly shaking body. "I'm sorry" she began, "I thought perhaps that she was planning to steal from you later. People like her have a reputation, you know."

Rassen opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off as Shaela quickly pushed past him to stand before the woman. "H-how dare you?" She spat, her anger overpowering her fear of further trouble today. "You don't know me. In fact, I'm willing to bet that you haven't even seen any of my people apart from those that are homeless, who people like you pass without a second thought! How dare you accuse us all of being thieves when you don't know the first thing about us!"

The woman recoiled before looking to Rassen for support. "I meant no offence", she began, looking beseechingly at the hooded man who towered above her, "I just wanted to make sure that you understood that her type have a reputation for stealing from others. You've obviously decided to give her a chance, but please, bear that in mind."

Rassen frowned at the now hopeful looking woman in disgust. Regardless of what the other people in this place thought of Shaela's race, the quarian herself had done nothing that led him to believe that she was anything less than a desperate young woman who had found herself in a terrible situation. The same seven thugs that had chased her had tried to pick a fight with him earlier, despite the fact that he had done nothing to them. He had helped her and in return she had helped him. He barely knew the emaciated quarian, but she deserved some small measure of trust at the very least. She had more than earned a chance after what she had done for him and he fully intended to give it to her.

Rassen turned away from the woman and pointed in the direction that he and Shaela had been travelling before the woman had approached him. "Your apartment was this way wasn't it, Shaela?"

The quarian jumped slightly as he addressed her, having been occupied glaring at the now flabbergasted and still unnamed woman, "Y-yes, it's close now, it shouldn't take us long to get there."

"Let's go then. Standing about on that ankle can't be doing it any favours."

Shaela nodded and the two of them continued walking as the woman spluttered in anger behind them about how she had only been trying to help him, and how people had often done something to deserve the reputations that they had been given. Rassen did not so much as bother to look back at her as he and Shaela continued on their way.

* * *

"Thank you for not believing her."

Rassen forced himself out of his thoughts in order to respond to the quarian who limped along next to him. "You helped me Shaela. I don't particularly care what that woman back there thought of your people, and by extension you. You helped me when I didn't have the slightest clue what to do to even acquire a translator on this damn station and I'm grateful for that."

"You helped me first."

"You helped me twice."

"I'm sorry?"

"The… omni-tool did you call it? That was the first. The second is very kindly letting me stay with you until I can get my bearings."

The quarian nodded in understanding, "I suppose that's true, but you've helped me twice as well. The batarians back there obviously, but you also helped me by not listening to her."

"That makes us even then, two for two."

"You did save my life though." At this Shaela shuddered at the memory of how terrified she had felt as the batarians had chased her through the narrow corridors of this level of Omega. She had stupidly left her pistol back at her apartment, not that it would have done her much good. She could have taken down one of the batarians, maybe two if she had been lucky, but seven would have been far too many, even with the training that all pilgrims received before leaving the Flotilla.

"I was glad to be of help. In all honesty though, I met those seven only fifteen minutes or so after I awoke here on Omega. I managed to convince them to leave the first time and could probably have done so when they were after you as well, but I suspected that if I did the same again then they would just have caused further problems for either myself, you, or others."

Shaela stopped to look at the human in surprise. "How could you possibly have convinced them the first time, let alone when they were after me as well? There were seven of them and they were all armed."

Rassen thought for a moment before answering as the two of them turned one of the sharp corners that the architects of the station seemed to have such a fondness for, before replying. "It would take a while to explain as it is linked to some of my other abilities and one of the weapons that I used earlier. Until we get to your apartment and can have a long conversation in peace, suffice to say that people like me can be very persuasive."

"Humans?"

"Jedi."

"You say that word like I should recognise it."

Rassen glanced at her in surprise, "I'm shocked that you don't," he replied, "even if you've never met one, I thought that everyone in the galaxy knows what a Jedi is".

"I'm afraid that I don't. What is a Jedi then? Some kind of elite soldier program the Systems Alliance has developed?"

"What's the Systems Alliance?"

They had just arrived at Shaela's apartment and Rassen's question caused Shaela's fingers to slip as she attempted to unlock her door via her omni-tool. Shaking her head in disbelief, Shaela began re-entering the code, the door then opening with a metallic groan that screamed of poor maintenance and worn-out parts that were long past their prime.

 _He must be from the most backwards colony that the humans have! Definitely from one here in the Terminus Systems, as I've heard that the humans there don't want anything to do with the Alliance. But to never have heard of the Alliance in the first place? The humans must be even more fractured and diverse than I thought, the idea of a quarian not knowing of the existence of the Migrant Fleet is laughable!_

Realising that they were still standing outside of her apartment, Shaela stepped inside, motioning to Rassen to follow her. "Please come in," she said, still reeling from the apparent revelation that her new friend hadn't the slightest idea of what the voice of humanity was. "There's a lot that I need to explain to you and I'd like you to answer a few questions of my own."

* * *

The apartment was in many ways in keeping with the rest of the station. The door opened straight into a living/kitchen area, with a faded brown sofa against the wall opposite the entrance, a couple of springs protruding from it at awkward angles. Next to it was a chair of that looked to be made of plasteel or some kind of plasteel equivalent that may once have been white, but was now a filthy grey, sitting just to the left of the sofa in the corner. Rassen noticed that like the sofa, the chair faced the doorway that he and Shaela had just passed through. Cleary Shaela had been on Omega long enough to realise that the station was a very unfortunate place to call home.

The kitchen area was on the left-hand side when you entered through the doorway and consisted of little more than a simple countertop of slate grey and an oven of some description, both like the sofa and chair in that they were pressed up against the wall in order to make the best use of the limited space available. On the right-hand side there was a short hallway that presumably led to the bathroom and also the bedroom, though it would not have surprised Rassen at this point if there was no bedroom, the rest of the apartment being so sparse in furniture that a bed might not be present at all. In short, while everything a person needed did seem to be present, the apartment contained the bare necessities and nothing more. The only major difference with the rest of the level they were on that Rassen had observed so far was that Shaela clearly tried to clean her apartment regularly, with their being no cookware of any kind in the sink and everywhere else being free of dust. Rassen finished his observations just as Shaela began speaking.

"Did you say that your name was Rassen earlier? Keelah I should have tried harder to memorise it, you remembered mine! Would you like to sit down, um, Rassen?" Shaela was clearly uncomfortable, gesturing vaguely with her right-hand to the battered sofa while seemingly desperately wracking her brain to make sure that she had gotten his name right.

He smiled slightly at the sight. "My name is Rassen, Shaela, you remembered it perfectly. I think it may be better however if you sat on the sofa."

The quarian seemed to blink at him in surprise, "What does sofa mean, is it a human word for couch? I've never heard it before."

Rassen tilted his head at her slightly, "Couch then, if you prefer. I think it may be better if you sat there. It looks more comfortable than the chair and your ankle is getting worse."

"I'm sorry? How could you possibly know that? I don't think that I ever mentioned that it was getting worse."

Rassen chuckled slightly, his deep voice seeming to fill the entirety of the apartment, "You've put a brave face on it, but you were limping when we first met and you've put more and more weight on your right leg since we set off together. The sooner someone sees to it, the better."

Shaela was clearly surprised by his deduction, but seemed to quickly brush it off. Despite her obvious physical vulnerability, she clearly adapted quickly, as he had seen from how she had stood up for herself against the middle-aged woman who had approached them. She needed to be so in a place such as this. Rassen wondered briefly if all of Omega was as unpleasant as the level that they currently resided on. His instincts and by extension the Force told him that it probably was.

Shaela walked stiffly over to the sofa (couch for her) and gently sat down. She gasped slightly in relief as the weight was taken off of her left-ankle, which as far as Rassen could deduce from a distance was likely twisted or perhaps had a damaged bone. The quarian then looked up at the tall human who still stood there in the middle of her living room, seeming to fill more than half of it with his large frame.

"Please sit," she gestured to the chair that stood just next to the sofa. "From what little you've told me, I'm not the only one who has had a horrible day."

The Jedi walked to the chair and gently picked it up, then carefully placed it so that it sat in front of her but was at a right-angle to the door. Rassen then gently lowered himself into the chair, flicking his cloak back so that he didn't end up sitting on it. He noted with approval that as he turned his head to face Shaela, he could see the door to the outside out of the corner of his right eye. Experience had taught him that it never hurt to be cautious.

He glanced down towards Shaela's ankle and then back to her eyes, quickly. "I'd like to take a look at your ankle if you don't mind, I may be able to help you."

Shaela nodded and Rassen gently picked up her injured leg and raised it up and onto his knees. Shaela gave out a tiny gasp that might have been either pain or surprise from the action, but Rassen didn't notice, carefully placing his hands on her ankle and reaching out with the Force towards the abused limb. After a moment the cause of Shaela's pain became clear.

Although the quarian's anatomy was unfamiliar to him, he could feel that one of the smaller bones in the back of her left ankle had cracked. It was presumably the result of some kind of heavy blow with a blunt instrument such as a pipe or the back of one of the strange looking blasters that the population here seemed to use. Judging by the fact that it was the ankle that had been damaged and not somewhere more obvious to strike at as such as her head or back, Rassen guessed that one of the four-eyed aliens that had been after her had thrown something at Shaela as she had run from them. That probably ruled out a blaster then, meaning that the object had possibly been a pipe or something else made of metal. Either that or something similar such as a piece of masonry had been thrown, assuming that there any bricks or stone on Omega in the first place.

After lifting and then gently rotating the quarian's limb, Rassen glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You suffered an impact to your left-ankle. It was likely a projectile of some sort that was heavy and probably flat." He turned to face her fully, though he still kept a light hold of her ankle, "One of the… batarians as you called them threw a pipe at you when you ran from them?"

Shaela looked at him in amazement, "H-how did you… I mean, that's incredible, to figure all of that out with just the injury to go on! Um, how bad is it"? She had trailed off towards the end, clearly nervous about the extent of the damage the attacker had caused. Rassen turned back to the ankle and double-checked his examination to be safe. Cracked certainly, but only the one bone and there was no other damage as far as he could tell. It would take a few moments but it should be a relatively easy fix.

"One bone in your ankle cracked as a result of the impact. Fortunately, running on it does not seem to have made the damage worse. I can heal this relatively easily."

The quarian's shoulders sagged in relief as the news, "Thank you, it hurts a lot and I was really worried for a while there." She paused for a moment and then continued hopefully, "You have some medi-gel on you then?"

Rassen tilted his head at her in confusion, "Medi-gel? I'm afraid that I don't know what that is. I don't need it to mend the bone however."

"You don't?"

"No. Will you allow me to heal you?"

Shaela felt her nervousness returning, but managed to force it down. Looking the human straight in the eyes, she gave a quick nod. "Please, if you think that you can."

"Then please close your eyes and relax. The sensation may be a little surprising, but I should be done in less than a minute." Rassen watched as Shaela hesitated for a moment, then leaned back fully into the sofa at his encouraging nod. He then turned his attention back to the ankle that he still held lightly in his hands and reached out to the Force.

 _There is no emotion, there is peace._

The Force rippled slightly as Rassen concentrated on it, letting his body become a conduit for the energy that both bound the galaxy together and to an extent _was_ the galaxy.

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

The Force began flowing faster, filling his body with a comforting and familiar warmth as he then concentrated on the wounded ankle that he cradled softly in his hands.

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

Rassen allowed the Force to continue to build in his hands, visualising the damage to Shaela's ankle healing. No, he was _willing_ the injury to heal.

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

The Force flowed from his hands, straight through his lightly-armoured gloves and through Shaela's enviro-suit and boot, straight to the source of her discomfort. The quarian gasped as warmth suffused her ankle and began breathing more rapidly, but she did not pull away. The sensation was gentle and soothing, the pain quickly becoming little more than an unpleasant memory.

 _There is no death, there is the Force._

Rassen then allowed his grip on the Force to slowly fade as Shaela's ankle finished repairing itself. He then gently lowered the quarian's now formally damaged leg back to where it had been on the floor before his examination had begun.

He then turned to face Shaela, whose glowing eyes were wide behind the mask that concealed almost the entirety of her face from view. After a few seconds, her rapidly heaving chest slowed and she blinked rapidly. She then slowly turned to face him as she positioned herself upright and gently squeezed her ankle with her right hand to check it. Looking at the Jedi, who had observed all of this in silence, the shocked quarian blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"What in the name of the Homeworld was that!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Conversation and Further Revelations**

"That", Rassen responded, leaning back slightly in his chair as he did so, "was Force healing." He observed the quarian in front of him, who looked back with complete amazement, before he then elaborated. "I reached out to the Force and used it to speed-up your body's natural healing process. I did however have to manipulate the process slightly in order ensure that the bone was as good as new, as opposed to just letting it mend, as the bone may have ended up being slightly weaker than it was before it was damaged. If that had been the case then it might have caused you further trouble further down the road." He glanced down at her leg. "It would be a good idea to see if you could try to walk on that. Doing so will let us know beyond a shadow of a doubt whether it is fixed or not."

Shaela nodded and then stood up shakily, before walking towards the small kitchen area of the apartment. She then turned around and walked in the other direction, stopping when she reached the hallway, which he had earlier assumed led to the bathroom and bedroom. Rassen didn't say anything further and let her test her newly-repaired ankle in peace. As far as he could tell it had been repaired perfectly. The limp that had become increasingly obvious since he had met Shaela earlier that day was now completely gone. It was important however that her ankle felt right to her, that he hadn't in some way adversely affected her nerves or anything else that would prove distracting or painful for her in any way. Her walking around was therefore the best way to make sure that nothing had gone wrong.

Shaela stopped walking after she had traversed the length of her small apartment a few times before glancing down at her ankle in astonishment once again. Wiggling her toes slightly and apparently still finding nothing wrong, she returned to where she had been sitting before and then the questions began.

"What… what exactly is the Force? Where did you learn to heal people using it? Is it difficult to learn, could you teach me? Does it rely on Element Zero or does something else power it? Um, sorry I'm not giving you enough time to answer…" she slowly trailed off, clearly a little embarrassed at her stream of questions.

Rassen laughed slighty before replying, "Most don't really understand what The Force is. It is the… well, force which connects everything in the galaxy. It is present everywhere, but is mainly generated by all living organisms. Plants, animals, microbes, people and anything living that you can think of generate it. Much like many things that are produced by the galaxy, the Force can be used by those that have been trained and possess some natural affinity for it. I do not know what 'Element Zero' is, however I know that the Force does not require it in order to exist. It is the result of life… and in return life is the result of it." He paused for breath as his host lent forwards, elbows on her knees, completely enthralled, before continuing. "As to whether you could learn to use it, the simple answer is almost certainly that you couldn't. People have to be born with a degree of force sensitivity in order to feel the Force and typically this manifests itself in such a way that a Jedi could sense it. It is possible that you possess that affinity and it is not yet apparent, but that is very unlikely."

Shaela deflated slightly at his words, clearly more than a little disappointed. Rassen tried to make his body language seem more sympathetic, shrugging his shoulders slightly, before continuing his explanation. "I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but I thought that you'd appreciate me being honest. If I may ask though, why does it matter so much to you? It is not as if you need to be able to wield the Force in order to make your mark on the galaxy."

Shaela glanced up at him from where she had been staring at the floor between them. "It just seems so amazing that you could just heal someone like that," she muttered, "learning how to help the injured without needing medi-gel would have been a very impressive Pilgrimage gift". She looked back at the floor once she had finished talking.

Rassen sighed slightly; it was never pleasant to let someone down, especially someone as full of hope as Shaela had been just a moment ago. "As much as the Force can be used to help others," he began, "it can also be used for less… altruistic purposes. Do you remember when I fought the… batarians I think you called them?" At her nod he continued, "I used the Force to hurl them backwards, which killed several of them, obviously. As with any ability, the Force can be wielded for either good or ill, and so can prove to be a burden as much as a gift."

Shaela nodded slowly in understanding before another thought came to her. "You mentioned on the way here that you persuaded the batarians that attacked me the first time you met them to leave you alone. You then said that it was in some way connected to your other abilities. Was that through the Force as well?"

The Jedi nodded to her, smiling behind his ever-present mask. Shaela was intelligent and had a good memory to boot. "The Force can be used to manipulate others, though doing so is difficult and typically requires considerable training, particularly if the individual whose mind you are trying to affect is strong-willed. Such manipulation can easily be misused for personal gain and as a result, I dislike using it. It seemed kinder however to allow those batarians to leave peacefully and encourage them to change their ways than to simply kill them. When I encountered them again however it became obvious that they would never change and so they sealed their fates."

"You make it sound like you were completely confident that you would win. Have you used the Force to fight many times?"

Rassen sighed again and began rubbing his hand absentmindedly along the side of his hood. "I've had to fight using the Force, and without it for that matter, far more times than I would have liked. Sadly, violence is sometimes the only solution, particularly when the Sith are concerned."

"What's a Sith?"

Rassen stopped what he had been doing and crossed his arms, glancing at her curiously. "I was surprised when you told me that you didn't know what a Jedi was, but surely you must have heard of the Sith Empire. Jedi are not always known for their subtlety, but the Sith are prone to large-scale gestures of destruction. Omega must occasionally receive travellers who at least know of them?"

Shaela shook her head, "I had never heard of the Sith, or Jedi, or even the Force before today," she replied, becoming more and more confused as to what Rassen actually was. He certainly seemed like a human, with his body structure and mannerisms he had displayed while talking with her, but there the familiarity ended. "You said that you were a Jedi earlier, are they important in some way?"

"Very, the Jedi have a high-level of respect among the people of the Galactic Republic for the help and guidance that they give it. The Sith are what the Jedi would be if they used their abilities for evil. They are manipulative, cruel, and will do anything if it could further their own personal power in some way."

Shaela shuddered at Rassen's words, "They sound horrible. Do the Jedi and Sith fight one another then?"

"The Sith desire the death or conversion to their ideology of all Jedi in the galaxy. Their hatred for us runs deeply and it is that which drives them to the extremes that they are willing to go to." He paused for a moment, recalling a particularly unpleasant encounter, "The Jedi and Sith often fight, frequently to the death, and I have been unfortunate enough to face them in the past."

Shaela was once again on the edge of her seat in anticipation. "And?" She asked, "What happened?"

Rassen's tone told her that he wasn't willing to discuss that particular topic much further. "Suffice to that say that it was unpleasant and that I genuinely hope that you never meet one." He then changed the subject of their conversation slightly, "You mentioned that the space station that we are on is called Omega, in the Terminus Systems. We must be right at the edge of the known galaxy for you to have not heard of any of this. Is Omega one of the last inhabited places before the Unknown Regions?"

Shaela glanced at him in total confusion before bringing up her omni-tool. "Not really, we're about as close to the centre of the galaxy as you can get, relatively speaking of course." She brought up a hologram of the galaxy and then held her arm between herself and Rassen, the latter leaning in for a closer view.

* * *

Rassen seemed to freeze as soon as he got a good look at the map, the material of his gloves creaking in protest as he clenched his hands so tightly that they threatened to tear. His breathing quickened and became shallower, as a slight rumbling noise filled the room. Shaela glanced up nervously as dust began falling on them from above, the brown-stained ceiling above them shuddering slightly as the rest of the room began to shake. Her mind quickly flashed back to Rassen explaining the drawbacks of being able to use the Force. The Jedi was clearly so distraught that his emotions were beginning to have an effect on his surroundings. It was threatening to bring the small apartment down around them. Fear clutched her heart and Shaela's eyes quickly darted in the direction of her bedroom, where her pistol lay under just the bed. The batarians had gone after her because she had been unarmed; if she could reach her pistol then she could… do what exactly? Shoot him? Shaela felt shame replace her fear at the thought of trying to hurt him. Rassen had helped her so much in the short time that she had known him, all that he had asked in return being somewhere to stay in a place that he clearly found alien. He had reassured her after he had dealt with the batarians when she had been terrified, and now he was in a similar place. As if on cue her father's words just before she had left on her Pilgrimage returned to her.

 _The galaxy can be an unforgiving place, particularly for a quarian. While you're out there experiencing it, the most important thing is that you leave it a little brighter before you return home._

Shaela reached out to place her hand on the large human's shoulder. She then softy began to reassure him. "Please calm down Rassen, its safe here. I can try and help you if you're confused, you've helped me so much after all." The shaking slowed slightly as Rassen's breathing did the same, prompting Shaela to smile in relief, not that he could see it. Her confidence growing, she continued, "I know that so much has been confusing for you and Omega must be very intimidating, even for someone like a Jedi. If you tell me where it is you're from then maybe I could help you find it? I've had to examine maps of the galaxy before, although that was a few months ago."

Rassen took a deep shuddering breath as the quaking finally stopped completely and he relaxed his hands from their clenched positions. He silently berated himself for his loss of control. He should have better control of himself for Force's sake! He was a Jedi Knight and so should have been above such things as emotional outbursts, silent or otherwise.

 _You may be a Jedi Knight now Rassen, but you will find yourself learning more every single day. Learning never stops, even when you become a Jedi Master._

Rassen smiled grimly to himself, Master Dorass' words seeming particularly important at this moment. They had certainly seemed important at the time of course, but he was beginning to feel like he had failed to grasp their full implications. The elderly twi'lek had understood him better than he had understood himself at that stage in his life, having taught him throughout his entire time as a Padawan and then presided over his trial to become a Knight. A pang of sorrow ran through him as he remembered his master's slightly wrinkled but kindly face, eyes shut in pain as she held one hand over the vicious lightsaber burn that had ended her life, her own weapon lying shattered a few feet away, its crystal missing. She had died as she had lived, brave and noble until the end.

Rassen tore himself from his thoughts to find Shaela waiting in silence, one hand still resting on his shoulder, as she waited for him to respond. "I doubt that you can help me Shaela. I don't… I don't think that I come from anywhere in _this_ galaxy."

Shaela looked at him in confusion, "That doesn't make any sense. I mean it's not as if you could have come from dark space. If you're not from this galaxy then that would leave…" She trailed off, the implication beginning to dawn on her. "That can't be possible. No ship could possibly cross the void between two galaxies. It would take too long and even if it were possible it would take centuries!"

"I know that it seems outlandish but can you think of any other solution?" Rassen began gesturing with his hands as he launched into an explanation. "I don't recognise any of the names of the various systems or planets that your omni-tool is showing me," he began, pointing to her omni-tool, which was still projecting its hologram of the galaxy, "and I only know where I am because you were kind enough to tell me." He then removed his rifle from his back and handed it to her. "My blaster rifle looks completely different from the firearms that those batarians had and no one on this station has armour that even remotely resembles mine, aside from that fact that theirs is obviously also designed to protect against weapons fire."

Shaela inspected his rifle curiously, rotating it in her hands and finding herself surprised by the weight of the weapon. Locating what looked to be the magazine, she then looked back at her guest. "May I? I mean if it's not too much trouble." She asked, indicating the rectangular part of the gun that jutted out from the side of the weapon.

"Please do."

Shaela nodded in thanks and then gently removed the power pack, holding it softly between her delicate fingers, moving it this way and that, her curiosity only growing. "This doesn't look like it's mass effect based. How does it work?"

Rassen reached out and took the power pack off her before he rotated it so that one of the longer sides of the rectangle faced her. "This power pack contains a small but powerful battery, as well as an amount of compressed tibanna gas. The gas is energised by the electrical charge of the battery and is then released as an energy bolt at the target." He indicated the side of the power pack which he held towards her. "The reading on this side lets the user know how many shots are available in the power pack at any time. In this case, I have only twenty-three shots remaining, as I have unfortunately seen a great deal of combat recently." Upon finishing his explanation, the Jedi motioned for her to return the rifle and he slotted the power pack back in before returning the weapon to its position on his back.

"I've never heard of a weapon that operates in that manner before, it sounds like it would be extremely powerful."

Rassen nodded to her, "Blasters can inflict serious damage, as you saw earlier today."

Shaela shuddered at the memory of three of the batarians' heads exploding as the blaster screeched three times in quick succession. "I remember. It was horrible."

Rassen looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry that it disturbed you," he finished awkwardly.

"Hmm? Oh sorry to make you feel guilty, you did save my life with it after all!" The quarian began to stumble over hear words for fear of seeming ungrateful. "I-I am very thankful, it's just that I've never seen anything quite like that before."

"Never the less, I'm still very sorry that you had to see it. I still believe however that it was the best choice." Rassen then switched back to the previous topic. "As well as my not recognising the names of any of the systems or planets from the projection that you showed me, and the fact that the weapons I have are very different from the ones aboard this station, there was also the language barrier when I arrived."

"That's right, you didn't know what an omni-tool was and your language wasn't registered in the database anyway. I assumed that you spoke a very rare human dialect and so the omni-tool simply didn't contain a translation."

"Or my language isn't spoken by anyone else as I'm the first in this galaxy to use it."

Shaela nodded slowly, but clearly wasn't entirely convinced. "It all fits with your theory, but the idea of you being from another galaxy still seems too far-fetched for me."

"It's the only theory I can think of that makes sense. None of various races here aside from humans are familiar to me and the technology is also completely foreign." Rassen then held out his left hand to her, palm turned upwards. "You seemed frustrated a few minutes ago that you probably can't wield the Force. I can use it to prove to you that I'm probably right and so allow you to experience it briefly, if you are willing."

Shaela glanced at his hand and then back at his mask before swallowing nervously. "Will it, um, will it you know… hurt?"

Rassen shook his head. "No. It will feel almost like it did when I healed you. This time however you would feel it throughout your entire body instead of just your ankle." He kept his arm out, waiting patiently.

Shaela took a deep breath before reaching out and taking Rassen's hand. She realised then that she had begun to trust him. He had done more for her in the past day then any member of any species other than a fellow quarian had for her in their entire life. She couldn't quell the fact that a ball of ice seemed to have formed in her stomach as he gently closed his hand around hers however, the larger five-digit hand seeming to consume her own. Shaela tried to force herself to relax. This would be just like before, only slightly more intense.

"Close your eyes," Rassen softly commanded, "and imagine reaching out to feel the universe around you. This will allow me to show you a few memories and so prove to you that we are likely from two different galaxies."

Shaela felt her nerves beginning to act up once more. "Can you see my memories," she asked, her voice barely a whisper, "will you be able to see my past?"

"No. Only if you should wish it would that be possible. We only need to examine my thoughts together. Your memories are your own and I have no wish to intrude upon your private thoughts in any way."

Shaela felt herself calm slightly at his words, though some of the fear still remained. Before it could return in full force, she spoke. "I'm ready. Please begin."

Rassen smiled behind his mask. "Then close your eyes and imagine yourself reaching out to the universe Shaela'Tole nar Kilal." He then closed his own eyes and gently touched his mind to that of the quarian whose home in which he sat, Shaela gasping in shock at the sensation.

* * *

Everything seemed so different. Shaela could feel everything in her small living room, but it also felt like she was seeing it for the first time. A dim light seemed to emanate from every object in her living room within her mind, everything softly pulsing in tandem.

 _So this is the Force that he mentioned. Not just feeling its effects, but being connected to it, being a part of something bigger._

Shaela then felt her mind focus on the man sitting across from her. Unlike the dully gleaming interior of her apartment, he seemed to glow furiously with a vast reservoir of energy, wisps of cool blue and bright white drifting away from Rassen's body constantly, along with a grey one every few seconds or so.

As if hearing her thoughts, Rassen spoke up. "As I mentioned earlier, the Force exists within all living organisms. This is why your furniture, walls, ceiling, and everything else in here only give off a faint glow. They have felt your touch or at the very least proximity, and so what we feel are traces of your presence and even traces of those who have interacted with them in the past. That is why both you and I are so much brighter. We are actively generating the Force even though we don't think about doing it."

Shaela still kept her eyes shut, but slowly held up her free hand. She gasped as she saw in her mind that she was glowing in much the same way as Rassen was, although much less brightly. As with Rassen, white and light blue wisps rose from her body, though not as frequently as they did in his case. She also lacked the grey ones that he seemed to produce more intermittently.

Rassen then continued, "I would like to show you the memories from my past now if you are still willing to go through with this Shaela." He spoke softly, probably trying not to disturb the tranquillity that she could feel filling herself as much as possible. "Is that still acceptable to you?"

Shaela nodded, eyes still tight shut. "You may," she breathed, "but please take your time. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed."

Rassen seemed to take a moment to organise his thoughts before an image of the galaxy popped into her mind. She was about to ask what was so special about it, as they zoomed in to begin focussing on various important solar systems in rapid succession, before it then dawned on her. The galaxy he showed her at first glance was very similar to the one that she was so familiar with. Like many of the galaxies that she had ever heard anything about, the one he was showing her had a dense core, with countless solar systems stretching away from it in spiral arms that became thinner and thinner as they grew further away from the centre. What stopped her question in her throat though were the designs of the ships present in some of the systems that he showed her, along with the races that crewed them.

They were all completely alien.

Shaela wasn't an astronomer. She didn't know much more about space than how to repair any part of a ship in the event of some kind of failure, a skill all quarians had to have, regardless of their main role in the Flotilla. Yet even though she couldn't see any real difference between her galaxy and the one that Rassen seemed to believe that he was from in terms of its overall structure, the inhabitants and ship designs were vastly different. As Rassen began to show her personal encounters with members of various species that she had never met before, Shaela began to realise that as implausible as his theory was, Rassen was quite possibly right.

 _There is no way that all of these species could exist without at least some of them being widely known. Keelah, Father told me that when the humans first appeared they were all that the Flotilla spoke of for weeks, even if that was mainly because they managed to hold their own against the turians long enough for the Council to break up the fighting. We also have ships of every design in the Flotilla, but I have never seen anything like some of these. Some of them even appear to be the size of dreadnoughts or even bigger!_

Rassen had also been analysing the strange galaxy and its ships and races. "I can sense that you understand Shaela. The only conclusion is…"

"That you are from another galaxy." Shaela whispered almost silently, amazement once again present in her voice. "I don't know how it's possible that you came to be here, but between this and everything else, I can't think of another explanation either."

Rassen was silent for a moment and when he spoke Shaela could feel her heart break a little at his sorrow and confusion. "Shaela, what do I do?"

* * *

 _What can he do? From what he told me he doesn't know how he got here. Without knowing that he can't try to figure out a way back._

Shaela felt Rassen slowly withdraw from their connection and she felt the Force slip away from her as a result. She then placed her hand back where it had been on the human's shoulder earlier. "You can stay here with me, at least for now. Whatever transported you must be linked to Omega in some way right? We can go to where you first arrived and investigate the area. Did you look around much when you first appeared there?"

Rassen shook his head, still upset, "No, the first thing I did was to try and find someone. Unfortunately, the first group of people I met were those batarians. After that all I could think to do was to keep going and see if I could find any other humans or members of another race that I recognised." Rassen then gently lifted Shaela's hand off of his shoulder before rising from his chair and lightly embracing the quarian, who froze slightly in surprise before returning the embrace. He then stepped back, some of his hope apparently returning. "Thank you again Shaela. You are right when you say that there might be some indication of what brought me to this galaxy where I first arrived. You are also still being very generous and kind by allowing me to stay as well."

Shaela took a moment to collect herself. Rassen's hug had caught her off guard, keelah she hadn't known him for a day and she had had more physical contact with him than anyone bar her parents! After all, physical contact among quarians was typically reserved to family members, lovers, and very close friends. Yet it had felt so pleasant to be held by another person. She had left the Flotilla months ago at the start of her Pilgrimage and since then she had not felt any physical contact with another in all of that time. Anyway, Rassen had clearly needed the support and if she was honest, so had she. She just hoped that her body language wouldn't give away how surprised she had been by his action.

"You-…you're welcome Rassen. Thank you again for everything you have done as well." She then alarmed herself slightly by yawning, causing her to look down at her omni-tool. "Keelah it's late! I must have lost track of time with everything that has happened today. S-sorry for yawning, I've heard that humans consider it a rude thing to do in front of other people."

Rassen waved her apology away before sitting back down and responding. "There is nothing to apologise for Shaela. I should have remembered to mention that it is difficult to judge time when you are immersing yourself in the Force. Regardless, the habits of the humans of this galaxy are not my own and so I'm not offended. While we're on this topic, you do realise that you don't have to apologise to me constantly, yes? Even if it is rather endearing all the same?"

Shaela felt herself blush in embarrassment, before a low rumbling seemed to emanate from Rassen for a few seconds. For a moment she thought that he had lost control of his emotions again, before she realised that her apartment seemed unaffected. As the noise returned she then glanced at the source, her eyes widening behind her light blue mask as she realised the exact cause of the disturbance.

Rassen seemed embarrassed as he shifted his weight slightly on his chair. "I'm sorry," he apologised, sounding a little cowed by the protest voiced by his stomach, "I last ate several hours before I arrived here on Omega."

Shaela couldn't help it. She burst out into peals of laughter as the absurdity of her day caught up to her. Normal at first, then the batarians, then he had saved her, then all of those staggering revelations and now finally this. After everything she had seen today, she was now hearing the large human's stomach _rumble_. Rassen suddenly started laughing as well, his deeper voice joining her higher-pitched one as the two of them both finally relaxed completely.

Shaela eventually managed to calm down long enough to tell him that there was a market only a short walk from her apartment and that they should go there in the morning, since she had only a little food and it was not compatible with human physiology anyway. She then explained that the streets were more dangerous at night, the various gangs on this level of Omega preferring to cause trouble when it was late station time. Rassen agreed with her plan, pointing out that it would be better to avoid any further violence if at all possible. A few minutes later though they had both started laughing again, the memory of that one moment sticking with the two of them long after the event.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's chapter 4 already! Special thanks go to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed this story. It's the knowledge that people would like to see more that keeps me writing. If anyone would like to discuss the story so far then please feel free to review or send me a PM, I'll respond to it as soon as I can!**

 **Chapter 4: The Market**

Rassen awoke from his slumber feeling surprisingly well-rested all things considered. 'All things' in this case being the events of the day before and the rather uncomfortable sofa that he had slept on. The Jedi Knight only needed a few moments to wake up fully, years of constant and strict training to become a full-fledged member of the Order ensuring that he had never gotten into the habit of sleeping in late. He glanced around briefly for Shaela before realising that she must still be asleep. He briefly considered waking her before deciding to let her rise of her own accord. As much as the prior day had been difficult for him, he at the very least was used to it. As much as Shaela had shown some initiative with the placement of the furniture in her living room, seeing as how it faced the door, the state that she had been in when they had first met strongly indicated that yesterday had been her first time in a truly life-threatening situation. His stomach growled at his decision to wait, Rassen staunchly ignoring it as he walked from the sofa to the centre of the small living room and fell to his knees, before then bowing his head slightly. He had not had the chance to meditate since arriving aboard Omega, and now seemed like an ideal time to rectify that.

He could not have been immersed in the Force for more than an hour or so, pondering the meaning of various lines of the Jedi Code as he often did, before he sensed Shaela slowly awakening in her bedroom. As he had initially suspected, the hallway that he had noticed upon first entering the apartment led to a bedroom on the left and a small bathroom on the right. Although Shaela had offered the use of the shower there to him last night, he had politely declined. While she had told him that she had little need for it beyond cleaning her enviro-suit, he saw little point in washing himself only to change back into the dirty under-suit of his armour. A shower could wait until he had obtained a few other sets of clothes.

Hopefully the market that Shaela had mentioned the previous night would have something that would allow him to blend in a little better. While his armour was no longer the pristine white that it had been when he had first received it, the plates being faded with usage and also pitted with the occasional pock-mark in places, it still stood out among the muted browns and greys of Omega. It would also be a good idea to acquire one of the blasters that the people of this galaxy wielded if at all possible. Shaela had mentioned something called the 'mass effect' when questioning him about his own weapon. Judging by both that and her reaction to his blaster rifle, obtaining one of those blasters was a must if he wanted to blend in. The bulky rifle that he normally carried had served him well, but he doubted that he had any way of replenishing its ammunition when he inevitably ran out, and besides that its design was very different from the slimmer and more streamlined weapons that were popular aboard the station. Those were the two priorities then; food and equipment. He would always keep his lightsaber close however, that at least was easy to conceal.

He had just finished formulating his thoughts when his host, now fully awake and having entered the living room, paused in the doorframe of her hallway, apparently not expecting to find him kneeling in the middle of her floor on the musty brown carpet, unmoving and for all the world like a statue. Rassen smiled slightly to himself in response. Republic troopers back in his galaxy had likewise viewed this particular Jedi habit with confusion and even a degree of suspicion if they had never met a Jedi before. Any objections that they may have secretly harboured however were normally silenced once they had realised the benefits of having a Jedi's assistance. His galaxy. Thinking of the situation like that brought back the feeling of being lost and alone more readily than Rassen would have liked to admit. You truly did not appreciate what you had until it was gone.

Shaela broke him out of his melancholic thoughts with a slightly stammered greeting. "G-good morning Rassen. I'm ah, sorry to disturb you b-but you mentioned that you were hungry last night and I thought that you would want to go to the market as soon as possible." The poor quarian seemed genuinely sorry to have broken the silence of the room, shuffling in place awkwardly, occasionally shifting her weight from one leg to the other, a small pistol of some kind on her hip.

Rassen felt a pang of sympathy and even a little guilt in response to her apology. As much as he had reassured her the previous night that she had no reason to apologise to him for anything, it seemed as though Shaela would take a while to build up some level of confidence after the attack by the batarians. Rassen realised that he didn't feel all that guilty anymore about killing them if that were the case. The Jedi Knight quickly quashed that particular idea nearly as soon as it popped into his head. That was a very dangerous line of thought, one that he would do well to avoid.

Yet, Shaela had not been quite so timid when the human woman had confronted him about the two of them walking together. As much as Rassen had secretly disapproved of the uncontrolled rage that Shaela had shown to the bigoted citizen when her species had been demeaned, he had nonetheless been impressed by the change that had come over his quarian host. Standing up for what one believed in took courage, always a desirable trait, and one that should be respected. Why was Shaela nervous when talking about matters that concerned her, such as going to the market, but was willing to argue fiercely with those who disparaged her people? Loyalty to the group as opposed to oneself perhaps? That was a trait that many Jedi prized highly, himself included. It was that distinction that separated the Jedi from the Sith after all.

Rassen got to his feet as Shaela continued to stand there in embarrassment before responding. "You weren't disturbing me at all Shaela. Besides, you are quite right to remind me that we should ideally head to the market sooner rather than later." He fixed his blaster rifle to his back (it would be better to display any weapon rather than none, even if his stood out) and then walked to the front door of her apartment, waving his omni-tool to open it. Fortunately for him, it only had to be unlocked from the outside, saving him the embarrassment of having the door remain shut. The Jedi then gestured to the now exposed street with his arm. She knew the way to the market and he did not after all. "Please Shaela, after you."

* * *

After she had locked her door and the two of them had begun their journey to the closest market area, Shaela found that despite all that she had learned about Rassen, she was still more curious than ever. The questions seemed to trip over one another as they forced their way to the front of her mind, leaving the quarian unsure of which one to ask first as she and the Jedi next to her walked along in companionable silence. She eventually decided that the topic of conversation that would interest her most would be the medicine of his galaxy. Who knew just what kind of benefits it could provide for her people? The man had healed her just by using the Force as he had called it; imagine what the people of his galaxy were capable of if they also used advanced medical technology! Perhaps Rassen would be willing to share some of his knowledge with her? He had been completely open with her so far, aside from when she had asked about his encounters with the Sith after all. As she opened her mouth to ask the Jedi about the topic in question, he beat her to the punch.

"Shaela, do you mind if I ask you a few more questions? We were only able to discuss a few topics last night and I must admit to being slightly curious about your people."

Shaela felt herself stiffen on reflex before she forced herself to relax. Typically when a non-quarian asked her about her people it was something along the lines of whether her race was ashamed of how they had created an artificial intelligence. This was normally then followed by the accusation that they had gotten what they deserved. Either that or their queries were about her trustworthiness and whether she was likely to steal from them. Rassen lacked the bias that the other races, humans included, held towards her people for obvious reasons. He was clearly just curious she reasoned, since there were probably no quarians in his home galaxy; she hadn't seen any in the memories that he had shown her.

Shaela nodded her head as the two of them kept walking, granting him permission. "Of course you can Rassen, you must be eager to learn more since you're currently living with a quarian at the moment."

"Thank you Shaela, you are quite right; there are no quarians in my galaxy, at least to my knowledge. It is odd however that humans are present in both galaxies, I wonder why…" Rassen trailed off, lost in thought for a moment before he then turned his attention back to her. "I'm sorry about that. First question then and please forgive my bluntness, but what are you? The woman who ah, _interrupted_ us yesterday called you a quarian. Is that the name of your species?"

Shaela growled slightly at the mention of the bosh'tet human before answering. "Yes, my people call ourselves quarians. We originate from the Perseus Veil region of the galaxy, Rannoch was our home world, before…" Shaela trailed off, worried about how Rassen would react to the next piece of information, "before the geth drove us from our home world and our colonies."

From the start that Rassen gave, she knew that he was shocked by the revelation. "What exactly is a geth?" He asked. "Are they another species that declared war on your people and attacked you?"

Shaela shook her head as the two of them came to a shortcut that she had discovered about a month ago. It was a corridor that branched off from the one that they had been walking down and was designed to provide access to the water supplies of this level, as far as she could tell anyway. Row upon row of rusted metal pipes jutted out of the left wall at the start of the corridor before travelling back into it at the end. Haptic readouts that somehow still functioned despite decades if not centuries of neglect shone from each of those pipes, allowing the maintenance staff (when there had been some) to quickly tell if everything was functioning properly with minimal difficulty. She had used the shortcut ever since she had discovered it, being thin enough to slip between the pipes and the wall on the right-hand side easily. It wasn't until she glanced back that she realised that Rassen, between his musculature and armour, might not be able to fit. It was a close run thing but after slipping deftly between the pipes and the wall, she noticed that the Jedi was managing to follow her, though he did knock into the pipes and wall a few times as he did so. Once she had established that her new friend wasn't going to get stuck, she answered him.

"No, the geth were, _are_ a synthetic race created by the ancestors of the quarians alive today. They were originally designed to handle menial tasks such as manual labour, however they grew far beyond what was intended and then turned on us. By the time that some of my people managed to escape from them, the vast majority had been slaughtered."

They exited the narrow corridor into one that was much the same as the previous ones that they had traversed together, the primary colours being rust brown and dull grey. The dim light that seemed to be the primary source of illumination on this level of Omega shone through grime filled air as usual, just reaching the floor before fading entirely. She was getting very sick of the brown, Shaela realised, glancing at the hooded cloak that Rassen wore with a small amount of disgust. At least his armour was white though.

"How many of your people are left then," Rassen asked softly, "will you be able to survive?"

Shaela couldn't help snapping at him. "What do you think we've been doing? For three-hundred years my people have been confined to a fleet of decaying star ships, barely clinging onto existence. Meanwhile the other races mock us, laugh at us, and call us thieves getting what we deserve for the existence of the geth, humans included." She had stopped walking at this point, Rassen following suit, silent as he listened to her shout at him. "All of my people, me included, have to wear environmental suits as a result of the immune system deterioration caused by three centuries stuck on our ships. Between that and the fact that we naturally have weak immune systems, a single puncture can easily mean death. Yes, I'd say we can _survive_ , we've managed this long haven't we?" Shaela then turned away from him and continued walking, her pace faster than it had been before. The sooner they got to the market the better.

* * *

It took Rassen a few moments to collect himself before he rushed after her and then slowed to match her pace. "I never meant to upset you Shaela, please forgive my ignorance."

Shaela sighed loudly before answering him, "It's not your fault. To be honest it's not even really the fault of the humans of this galaxy. They've only been a part of the galactic community for about thirty years, by which time the other races had being ignoring us for centuries." She sighed again, feeling very tired even though she had only woken up less than an hour ago. "If the humans did help us then they would anger the other races of the galaxy. I can't really blame them for not wanting to consort with who everyone else seems to think are thieves and liars."

Rassen looked over at her and seemed to think for a moment before replying. "To be completely honest, you are the best person I've met on this Force-blasted station and I'm proud to have helped you and been helped by you in turn."

Shaela nearly tripped over in her surprise, only being saved by Rassen quickly seizing her arm and pulling her around and upright. With a start, Shaela realised that she was nearly pressed flush against the tall human, and realised again just how tall he actually was. He could probably brawl with a krogan and give as good as he got.

Apparently also realising their proximity, Rassen stepped back slightly before gently placing both of his hands on her shoulders. Shaela jumped again as she noticed the intensity of the human's gaze, even though two masks separated them. It was like he could see right through to her soul as he locked eyes with her, his light-blue visor shining slightly in the dim light.

"I don't believe for a second that you are a thief, a liar, or anything of that description Shaela. Judging by how you reacted to that woman yesterday, I don't believe that your people are either. From what you've told me, they made a mistake centuries ago, and the rest of you are being punished for a catastrophe that occurred before you were even born." He released her shoulders and then gently took her left hand in both of his own. "The other races were wrong to not help your people when the geth first revolted, but far worse is how they have left you to struggle alone for all this time." By this point Shaela couldn't help the tears that were sliding down her face one after the other, beginning to collect at the bottom of her mask. "Your people have shown incredible resilience in the face of huge adversity and they should be proud of what they have managed to accomplish." Rassen then gently squeezed her hand in-between his own before continuing. "Despite the fear that you have shown on occasion, you've stood up for what you believe in when it truly counts. You should be proud of yourself, not many can say the same." The Jedi continued to hold her hand as his gaze bore into hers.

Shaela couldn't hold back any longer, she lunged forward and wrapped her thin arms around the human in front of her, burying her mask into his chest. Damn where they were and damn whoever saw them! Rassen had only known her short time but he _cared_. He saw her and her people as more than the other races did, he _respected_ them even, respected _her_. She felt him hesitantly wrap his arms around her as she continued to bawl into his chest plate. After a few seconds of this, Shaela heard Rassen began whispering reassuring words to her.

"It's alright Shaela, your people will have their world back someday. The other races will learn to respect you and treat you like equals as they once did. Eventually your people will be able to live without the suits that you currently rely on and you will be seen for who you truly are."

Shaela sniffled before withdrawing from the hug and looking up at him, hope brimming in her eyes. "Do you mean that?" She asked breathlessly. "Will all of that really happen?"

Rassen seemed to think for a moment before answering. "The future is a fickle thing, subject to change at any moment. Sometimes however, it is possible to know what is coming through a connection with the Force, though such moments of clarity are rare. In this case though, I can _feel_ that all of that will happen eventually, likely sooner than you think."

Shaela felt herself laughing giddily at the Jedi's words before taking his hand in her own. "If it could be soon then," she smiled up at him, "then we better make sure that we've eaten before it's time." She then hurried off towards the market, dragging the armoured Jedi with her.

* * *

The market was not exactly what Rassen had been expecting.

After being dragged along by Shaela for around five minutes, the two of them had exited the corridors that were a staple of Omega, emerging into a wide chamber with a high ceiling. The same level of dirt and rust that he'd come to expect was present and the colour scheme was also much the same, grey and brown dominating the walls, floor and ceiling. The atmosphere however was very different to what he had become used to aboard the station. Instead of the depressed silence that filled the corridors he had seen so far, the air in here seemed to thrum with energy, people of many of the different races he had seen so far bartering heatedly, trying to get the best deal possible. The sheer number of people was staggering, everyone pushing past one another to try and get to their destination, while the voices of the crowd melded together so that no one person was audible above the din if they were more than a few metres away. As Shaela led him though the crowd with practised ease, dodging past individuals twice her size with little difficulty, Rassen began noticing the reactions that he was getting.

The Jedi was well aware that he stood out. Being very tall for a human and wearing unique armour that was clearly well-crafted did not do wonders for his subtlety after all. The attention did not therefore concern him too much, but what did were the kind of reactions he got from some of those that he passed.

Fear and suspicion were the most obvious ones, particularly from other humans, the blue-skinned females that he had seen the previous day and also an amphibian like species he had not previously encountered. Members of some of the other species looked at him with the same emotions as far as he could tell, but these individuals were far less frequent, the squat, enviro-suit clad race being one such example. Those reactions were not too worrying given his desire to avoid any violence if at all possible. What did have the Jedi concerned however were the hulking humpbacked aliens that he occasionally passed, who universally seemed to be sizing him up, as if wondering whether he was a dangerous enough opponent to be a challenge in a fight. Rassen found their eager gazes to be not all that dissimilar from those that he had received from Mandalorians in the past, hardly a reassuring sign. Unfortunately however they were not the only race whose members looked like they might attack him and Shaela. There were also the aliens with mandibles, who like the previous day appeared to be analysing him calmly, trying to determine the most effective means to defeat him if he should prove violent. Finally of course, there were the batarians.

While some members of the mandible species seemed to dislike him on sight and the humpbacked ones seemed like they were intrigued as to how well he could fight, it was the batarians who for whatever reason, hated him the most. The question remained however as to why that was. Perhaps the humans of this galaxy and the batarians had fought some kind of war in recent memory? That would certainly explain why three groups of them had confronted him the previous day, despite the fact that he had made no secret of the fact that he was armed. He would have to ask Shaela about that when they were finished here.

Shaela must have found what she was looking for, as she finally stopped in front of a small kiosk run by one of the mandible aliens. The individual had some kind of green face paint in one horizontal stripe on each cheek, which contrasted strongly with his dull-grey carapace. The kiosk itself suited the owner well in Rassen's opinion, being grey entirely save for a flashing red neon sign with one of its letters broken that clashed with the dullness of the rest of the stand. With a start, Rassen realised that he could actually read the sign, though the title was not terribly exciting. Clearly the omni-tool could translate writing as well as words. He would have to thank Shaela again later.

 _Food? Is that really the best title that this person could come up with to attract business?_

As there was no one currently being served by the individual, Shaela stepped forward and raised a hand in greeting to get the owner's attention. "Good morning," the quarian began politely, "I'd like to buy a week's worth of dextro-based nutrient paste. I also need a week's worth of levo-based ration bars for my friend here." She tilted her head to Rassen as he calmly stepped up beside her.

The alien sneered slightly at Shaela; causing Rassen to involuntarily clench his fists. Clearly this person felt exactly the way about quarians that Shaela had told him most of his race did. The Jedi forced himself to relax his posture. Anger would get them nowhere in the current situation and starting a fight was normally a bad idea at the best of times. It would be better to ignore the sneer and simply get the food and leave. Rassen surreptitiously glanced around him. There was no way that he could try to smooth things over with the Force without someone noticing that something was amiss anyway.

The alien opposite them crossed his arms at the quarian and human that stood before him as he smugly responded. "Bad enough having to lower myself to serve quarians, but humans at the same time? That's over the line, I can only be seen serving one of your races at once. Take your friend and get lost bucket, I do have some standards you know."

Shaela flinched back slightly, clearly not expecting the sheer venom of the person in front of her. "All we want is to buy food." She managed to get out. "We have the money to afford it and then we can be on our way."

The man (Rassen assumed that it was a man due to deepness of their voice) leaned over the counter towards Shaela, mandibles wide in a grin as she backed off further, nearly bumping into a passing humpbacked alien before Rassen brought his arm up gently stop her. "Since I'm such a nice guy girlie, I'll give you and your pet ape one last chance. Either go now or you won't be going anywhere in the future." Rassen felt a shift in the Force as several people in the crowd begin moving towards their position, likely due to some unseen signal from the man in front of them. Shaela hadn't been exaggerating when she had described the way that other species viewed her people. Rassen quickly weighed their options. Either they left now, or they would have a fight on their hands, and that was something that both he and Shaela really didn't need currently. Rassen opened his mouth to respond to the man's threat, but Shaela, oblivious to the fact that the two of them were quickly being surrounded, chose that of all moments to come to their defence.

"You can't treat us like that! All we want is to buy fo-"

Rassen quickly grabbed the quarian around the waist and pinned her to the floor as the Force screamed a warning. He was just in time too, the sound of a gunshot roaring above the sound of hundreds of people talking in a wide variety of languages. Conversation gave way to panicked screaming as shoppers began to run in every direction as they realised what was happening.

"Stay down!" Rassen shouted next to where he guessed Shaela's ear was, the quarian nodding fearfully, eyes wide behind her light-blue visor. With experience gained from a dozen battlefields, the Jedi quickly assessed the situation. Four hostiles in total; the one who had fired at Shaela from about twenty metres behind them, and three others, also behind the two of them. The Jedi whipped around to find that the four behind them were all aiming their weapons directly at him, about to fire.

It would take too long to draw his rifle and he had no idea how effective his armour would be against their weapons. Adding in the fact that his foes were too spread out to hit with one Force push, Rassen could only think of one option.

 _So much for trying not to attract attention._

His lightsaber hummed to life, its blue blade cutting through the grimy air effortlessly as Rassen moved it to block the first shot. He almost missed the ones that followed due to his surprise at the appearance of the projectiles, or rather their lack of appearance, as well as the speed that they seemed to travel at. Blaster bolts were large and slow enough that they could be easily deflected by a Jedi or Sith, often back at the owner if the target was quick enough. Rassen's mind again recalled his conversation with Shaela from last night. She had mentioned something called the 'mass effect' when they had spoken about how his rifle worked. Perhaps that was what powered the blasters of this galaxy? Whatever the answer, between their size and velocity, the rounds the thugs fired at Rassen proved difficult to block, though the Jedi quickly found his rhythm, blade slicing through the murky air in a series of elegant movements.

His opponents quickly stopped firing, in complete shock at the man in front of them when they realised what he was doing, giving Rassen the opportunity he needed. The Jedi Knight swiftly raised his empty left hand, causing two of the attackers who were close together to jerk quickly into the air, before he then dropped his arm, smashing them to the ground with bone-breaking force. The other two thugs quickly resumed their fire as Rassen turned to face them. The Jedi realised that the two men, a human and one of the amphibian race, were both standing in front of a now abandoned stall which held a vast pile of battered armour pieces. Concentrating as he blocked their shots, Rassen made a fist with his left-hand and pulled it towards his body. A cascade of armour smashed into the two of them, pieces slamming into the backs of their heads to pitch them onto the floor, either unconscious or dead.

A gunshot sounded from behind him, causing Rassen to whip around. The stall-owner was pointing a pistol straight at his head, a grin on his alien features. Rassen quickly glanced down at himself, feeling no pain. He then looked back at the man opposite him as his features changed to an expression of confusion and then pain, before he collapsed to floor and lay still. Rassen struggled to understand what had happened before he heard a sob from his left. The Jedi closed his eyes in sadness for a moment. He hadn't been aware enough, and now this was the result. Master Dorass' words returned to him again, though this time he could almost hear a disappointed tone in her voice that hadn't been there before.

 _You may be a Jedi Knight now Rassen, but you will find yourself learning more every single day. Learning never stops, even when you become a Jedi Master._

Whatever passed for the law here on Omega would be here soon. Rassen doubted that even on a station as vast as Omega, word hadn't already begun spreading about an attack in the middle of a public marketplace. He also doubted that he and Shaela would be believed if they told whoever confronted them the truth, as she was a quarian and he was associated with her. Rassen gently pulled the sobbing quarian to her feet and steadied her before trying to get her attention. "Shaela, look at me." The quarian shook her head in refusal before catching sight of the man she had killed and began crying even harder. Rassen tried again. "You had no choice, he forced your hand and if you hadn't acted then I'd be dead and you quite possibly would have followed."

"B-but I-I _killed_ -"

"It was not your fault Shaela, but we have to move _now_. What passes for the law here on Omega will be on its way and I doubt that they will treat us fairly." Shaela managed to nod weakly before staggering past him to the dead alien's stall. Clumsily, the quarian grabbed a large transparent box of thin tubes containing some kind of paste as well as another that looked like it contained foil packets of some description.

Her prizes secured, Shaela moved back to him and gestured shakily to the way that they had come from. "W-…We need to get back to the apartment n-now, like you said. I-I've g-got the food, its n-not like it's stealing now… now t-that…" the thin quarian broke off into sobs again and Rassen gently lifted the two boxes from her arms before softly pushing her in the direction that they had come from.

"Believe me Shaela, I know what you're feeling, but we have to go. If we don't then we could be killed too."

The two of them started running, quickly moving through the now deserted market. Rassen glanced at Shaela worriedly as they ran. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, but there was an emptiness to them that hadn't been there before.

 _This is my fault. If I hadn't been there then he would have still been racist to her, but he would have sold her the food and none of this would have happened. This is only my second day in this galaxy and I have already changed an innocent's life for the worse. First Master Dorass died and now Shaela will have to deal with the guilt of killing someone, self-defence or not._

Rassen felt a surge of self-loathing that he couldn't bring himself to quash. Hate led to the Dark Side, but he couldn't help feeling like he deserved to hate himself after the morning's events.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: 25,000 words (or there abouts) in just over two weeks. To think that I was concerned when I started this story that it would end up being really short seems so quaint now. Once again, special thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed this story. Extra-special thanks to dekuton for being particularly enthusiastic.**

 **Chapter 5: Guilt**

Somehow Rassen and Shaela made it back to the latter's apartment without encountering any further trouble. While Rassen was certainly grateful for that, he knew that the two of them were not out of the woods yet. There had been hundreds, perhaps thousands of people in the market, all of whom had begun fleeing as soon as the fight had begun. As a result, many would have seen him use both the Force and his lightsaber when battling the thugs. People were likely searching for Shaela and himself across the station; a lightsaber was hardly a low profile weapon, even in his own galaxy. Inwardly, Rassen cursed himself for bringing along the traditional weapon of the Jedi, before realising that ultimately it had been for the best. If he hadn't then he would have either had to use his rifle, which fired a completely different kind of projectile to the weapons that the store-runner and his thugs had used, or relied entirely on the Force. Both alternatives would have increased the chances of him or Shaela being injured, and given what the quarian had told him of her immune system, she could have easily been killed. Rassen was well aware that he wasn't invincible, past experience had taught him that lesson well, he reflected, wincing at a particularly vivid memory involving a devaronian mercenary. Nonetheless, he could probably have survived a few direct hits from the mass-accelerator weapons that his opponents had used, owing to his armour. Shaela would not have had that luxury.

The Jedi sighed as Shaela's apartment came into view, before turning to look at the slight quarian who ran along next to him. As they had throughout the whole run from the market, her eyes seemed to glow from behind her blue visor with far less energy than before. Neither one of them had spoken to the other after they had begun fleeing. He honestly wasn't sure what to say.

Once they had entered the small apartment, Rassen reached out to the Force quickly. Determining that there was no one with hostile intent towards either of them within the immediate vicinity of the apartment, he then turned to face Shaela. The quarian woman was slumped on the floor, her back against the sofa that faced the doorway that he stood next to. Her eyes still had that same unfocused look about them. While she was looking at the floor, her head bowed down so low that the chin of her helmet almost touched her collar bone. She looked to be light years away, her eyes completely unseeing.

Rassen sighed again before walking to the quarian and then sitting down on her right, his back likewise to the sofa. He suspected that he knew exactly why she was so disturbed, but still felt compelled to ask. He glanced over to Shaela, who hadn't reacted at all to his presence, before he spoke.

"Today was the first time that you killed someone, wasn't it?"

The blue-suited quarian didn't answer for a long time, the minutes slipping away as she continued to sit there in her unmoving state. Rassen didn't rush her, remembering that he had been much the same the first time that he had killed someone. It had taken time for what he had done to truly sink in, and he had at least been taught that as regrettable as it was, killing was sometimes the only way. Although he knew little about the Fleet that Shaela called home, the Jedi Knight doubted that her people had truly prepared Shaela for the possibility that she might have to kill someday. While she had slain the man who had threatened his life with a single shot, that was likely due to a combination of luck, instinct, and a small amount of training, not a planned action.

The minutes turned into hours as the two of them remained unmoving, the Jedi refusing to budge from Shaela's side. He had faced his first kill alone; horrified at what he had done once the initial shock wore off, wanting nothing more than for someone else to be there. Since Shaela hadn't demanded that he leave, he would be there for her as he had wished someone had been there for him. She deserved that much.

It was not until early evening that the quarian finally stirred, her back making audible popping noises as she did so, but it still took several minutes more for her to speak. When she did, there was no emotion in her voice. The hours of silence caused her to croak as she replied.

"Yes."

Rassen nodded before he tentatively asked her another question. "You know that it wasn't your fault, yes? As I said earlier, if you hadn't acted then he would have killed me and then probably you as well."

Shaela began crying, "I-I know, but I still _murdered_ him."

"If one of us it to blame then it is me. You should be upset with me, not yourself."

That got a reaction out of her. "H-how," Shaela demanded, "I was the one that shot that turian, he's dead b-because of _me_."

Rassen was shaking his head before she had even finished speaking. "I should have been more aware. I've fought on enough battlefields that I should have known to take stock of the entire situation as soon we were attacked. I underestimated an opponent, a stupid mistake, and you're paying the price for it."

"Rassen-"

"He would have simply served you and that would have been the end of it, if I hadn't asked you to let me stay when we first met." The Jedi was finding it increasingly hard to keep control of his emotions as analysed his actions since awakening on Omega. "If I… If I had simply dealt with the batarians, healed you and then left then you wouldn't have had to shoot him."

"Rassen, I-"

"I should probably just leave you alone. For all that I've done to help you, I've done just as much damage to your li-."

"Rassen!"

The Jedi cut off abruptly, surprised at the quarian's outburst. While he had seen Shaela's temper in action just the day before, it was quite shocking to see it directed at him. Given how low energy she had been just a few moments before, the Jedi found himself speechless for the first time in a long while.

Shaela's tears seemingly began to give way to determination as she continued before Rassen could organise his thoughts. "You saved my life yesterday," she began, speaking as clearly as she could through her tears and keeping her eyes fixed on the icy-blue visor in the human's mask to make sure that she got her point across, "and you did it again today." The quarian gave him a moment to digest her words before she drove on, "You also healed me with the Force without knowing how I would react and perhaps most importantly, even though you know how the other races view my people, you gave us, _me_ , a chance."

"Such is expected of a Jedi, to help innocents in need and show compassion are core ideals that the Order revolve around."

"You're the only Jedi that I've ever met, so I'll have to take your word for it, but tell me one thing." Shaela sniffed and propped herself up onto her knees so that her head was now level with his, "Why did you do all of those things?"

Rassen looked curiously at her for a moment before continuing, "As I said, a Jedi is expected-"

"No. Not why you should have helped me. Why did you _chose_ to help me when we first met?"

Rassen didn't answer her for a moment, carefully considering his response before deciding to just be honest. "In the moment it just felt like the right thing to do. I wasn't… didn't think about what a Jedi should do, I just acted."

"And at the market?"

"Pretty much the same as in the first case."

Shaela took a deep breath, "Just like I thought then. All you've tried to do since we met is help me and the ancestors know that I've tried to return the favour." She slumped back down to where she had been before, back to the sofa, her gaze boring into the floor again. "I don't regret having to save your life, Rassen, I just, I just…" She trailed off awkwardly and silence fell over the two of them again.

Rassen didn't allow it to linger this time however, "You just wish that you didn't have to kill someone to do it."

Shaela started sobbing again. "Exactly, a-as I saw him draw his gun on you, I knew that I had to do _something_. I-I could have aimed at his shoulder or maybe one of his knees, or-"

Rassen quickly cut her off this time. "Like you said, you reacted in the moment, much like I did for you. Horrible as it was, it's in the past now. Neither of us can change it. All we can do is accept it and move on."

The quarian looked at him tearfully. "How do you handle it," She asked desperately, "how do you cope with the guilt?"

Rassen found himself sighing as he ran a hand down the length of his mask, "It becomes easier the more that you do it. I'm not entirely convinced that is a good thing however." He sighed again before gently placing a hand on the quarian's shoulder, "The first time that I had to kill someone, at first I couldn't bring myself to do it. That decision came back to haunt me later, believe me. I suppose that is how you deal with it, knowing that the person whose life you ended would have caused further misery and pain if they had continued to live. Jedi believe that all life has a place and so death is only considered acceptable when it is the only real choice available." He squeezed Shaela's shoulder, causing the quarian to place her own hand on top of his and squeeze back, though he barely felt it through the armour on the back of his glove. He continued, "Taking life should never be easy, since it is something that cannot be undone. Time will make it better, as will the knowledge that in the long-run, this galaxy is better off for his death, though it may not seem that way now."

Shaela felt herself relax slightly as her tears slowed, though she could still feel most of her guilt linger. "That does help a little," she admitted, "but I'm not sure that I can ever really forgive myself. He wasn't like a geth, he had thoughts, feelings, friends, keelah maybe even a family!" The guilt returned in full force now, causing her to break down into full crying once more, "What about them, I've ruined their lives now!"

Rassen gave the quarian a sad look from behind his mask as she clung to his arm desperately. She needed time to come to terms with what had happened. More than that however, she needed to not be alone. He pulled Shaela further against him hesitantly, still not used to hugging. He had only hugged her yesterday in the relief of the moment, surprising himself as much as her. Shaela seemed to have fewer qualms as she burrowed against his side, her sobs still shaking her slim frame. He thought about staying silent and letting her drift off to sleep, before she spoke up.

"Tell me more about the Jedi."

He blinked at her in surprise, not that she could see. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Well… I told you a lot about my people today and it's only fair that you share something about your own. You've shown me the Force and explained to me what the Jedi are, but you haven't told me what it's like to be one."

"Hmm, I suppose that's fair. Besides, I am a guest after all. Very well then, what would you like to know exactly?"

Rassen decided to indulge Shaela's interest. If nothing else, it would keep her mind off of the events of the day. As it was, their conversation lasted several hours as Rassen answered all of Shaela's questions about the Jedi. Every time that he thought that she had asked about every conceivable aspect, Shaela would find something new to inquire about, often questioning why exactly something was the way it was. Rassen found it incredibly refreshing; as the quarian's opinions forced him to consider why he felt the way he did about certain topics. He had never given much thought as to why the Jedi held true to millennia old customs, but now he did. Inevitably, given that she had expressed curiosity about it the previous day, the conversation turned to how someone became a Jedi.

"Force-sensitive children," Rassen began, "are normally given by their parents to the Order upon being found by a Jedi Master. They are then taught in groups, until they are of a certain age and proficiency. Upon reaching this point, they are given the rank of Padawan and an individual Master takes over their training. Eventually the Padawan passes a series of trials and becomes a Jedi Knight, which I am myself. In time, Knights advance to become Masters, but I'm afraid that I know little about the process, being far too young and inexperienced to be a Master myself."

Shaela seemed shocked, "Parents just give up their children? Do parents not value their offspring in your galaxy?"

"Of course parents love their children. The issue lies not with them, but rather with the inherent ability present within the children themselves." Rassen paused before thinking of how to explain the concept to someone outside of the Order. "The Force can be a dangerous thing, Shaela. It is very easy for an untrained person to lash out with it during an emotional moment and potentially hurt someone. The risk is always present, even if the individual has received some training, though it is lowered substantially. Add to that the possibility of the Sith finding the child first, and it is safer for everyone that Force-sensitive children are taken in by the Jedi."

"They must miss their parents so much though, being children."

"Not normally, those taken are normally so young that they cannot remember their parents well, if at all."

Shaela looked horrified, "Children are so special though, they should be raised and cared for by loving parents."

Rassen found himself looking at her curiously, "This seems to be something that you feel very strongly about," he ventured, "is that your personal opinion or is a value held by many of your people?"

"Both, with there being so few of us in the galaxy, we quarians have to stick together." Shaela felt a small amount of gratitude well up at what she said next. "Resources are scarce on the Flotilla, as so much in the way of materials is needed to keep our ships running. It is rare that a couple have more than one child as a result. Fortunately for my parents, they were allowed to have two children, since there was a slight decline in the population of the Flotilla when they wanted to have me."

"Do you have a brother or a sister?"

"A sister, her name is Rissel. She's five years younger than me and can be a little demanding, but she's still a joy to be around."

"Hmm." Rassen found himself imagining a smaller version of Shaela pestering her older sister about something or other. The concept was undeniably amusing. "Have you spoken to them recently? If you haven't then I'm sure that they would like to hear from you, assuming that you have been on Omega for a while."

"Keelah!" Shaela was on her feet in a flash and began walking back and forth across her apartment before the befuddled Jedi. "Quarians on their Pilgrimage aren't supposed to have contact with their families unless circumstances are dire." She turned to face him, "Umm, this qualifies, doesn't it?"

Rassen raised his hand to reassure her. "I would certainly agree with that. To say that you've been through a lot in the past couple of days is putting it lightly. If anyone questions you speaking to them, I'll gladly back you up."

"Thank you, just… thank you Rassen." Shaela brought up her omni-tool, her three digits nimbly entering commands. As she did so, Rassen found himself idly wandering why quarians had three fingers but humans had five. Shaela's fingers were thicker than a human's; perhaps quarians only needed three as a result? The Jedi watched as Shaela stamped her foot in frustration before entering the same set of commands a second time. Given that a connection of some kind was not established, Rassen assumed that Shaela had been unsuccessful.

"Bosh'tet thing! I can't seem to get a connection, the Fleet must be out of range of any comm buoys at the moment." The quarian hung her head slightly in defeat before walking back over to him and taking her previous spot on the floor. Worried that she might refocus on the turian from the market, Rassen offered her his left arm, the one where she had attached the omni-tool.

"Since you seem to be such an expert, I don't suppose that you would mind explaining to me how exactly I use this thing?"

Once Shaela had finished teaching him how to operate some of the basic functions on his omni-tool, such as how to bring up a map of their level of Omega, Rassen decided to steer the conversation to something that she had mentioned previously. Anything to keep her mind off of the market, and quite frankly he was still intrigued about her people.

"So, what is exactly is a Pilgrimage?"

Shaela started slightly before remembering that she had mentioned it earlier. "The Pilgrimage is a… rite of passage I guess you could call it. Once a quarian comes of age, they leave their birth ship until they find a gift for the captain of a different vessel. They then return and present it to a captain of their choice and should it be accepted, they join the crew of that ship."

Rassen felt his curiosity only grow, "What kind of object qualifies as a gift, does it have to be something that is related to ship maintenance in some way?"

Shaela shrugged, "Often yes, but not exclusively. The Flotilla could always use more ships, so those are considered impressive gifts as well, but many captains value cultural items of some kind. Much has been lost since our ancestors fled Rannoch."

 _And so the pieces begin to fit together. Shaela is on her Pilgrimage, trying to find something that will allow her to join a new ship. That explains why she is alone and I have yet to seen any other quarians aboard this station._

"It sounds like the Pilgrimage is a good opportunity for young quarians to experience the galaxy then, to really get a feel for what it is like outside your Fleet. The only thing that I don't understand though is why is obligatory."

Shaela nodded, "While it's true that many quarians experience the galaxy the most in their lives while on their Pilgrimage, the real goal is to help maintain the Fleet. As a species, we can't afford for anyone to be lazy. By finding a suitable gift, a pilgrim proves that they are dedicated and hard-working enough to be an asset to the ship they wish to join. It also helps to maintain genetic diversity by making sure that the people on each ship change over time, preventing any possible chance of inbreeding."

Rassen felt a pang of sympathy for the quarians. Everything about their society was geared around their survival, it had to be. "What kind of gift were you looking for exactly," he asked. "Raw materials, a ship, or something cultural?"

Shaela signed sadly, "None of those. In truth I've always wanted to become a medic, possibly even a doctor of some kind. While my people rarely get sick on account of our suits, when we do it can easily be deadly. It's probably the most common cause of death on the Flotilla and I've always wanted to do something about it."

"You would need medical supplies then or some new method of treatment…" Rassen trailed off, understanding beginning to dawn on him, "that's why you were so disappointed when I mentioned how rare the ability to use the Force is. You thought that you might have found your gift so that you could leave this Force damned station and return to your people."

The quarian slumped unhappily against his side and Rassen hadn't the heart to push her away, though her elbow dug between a couple of his armour plates. "I've been here for a couple of months, but I'm no closer than when I started. I'd heard rumours that anything can be found on Omega and I thought that I'd find less trouble here than on the Citadel, given that a quarian there would likely have to go through constant security checks." Shaela sighed unhappily before continuing, "It seems that no one here wants to see a quarian either though; there was that woman of course and also those batarians. I don't know what I ever did to any of them, but when I passed them they just started chasing me! Then there's today and the turian who I… who I _murdered_."

"As I've said Shaela, it wasn't your fault, he attacked us and you saved my life. I'm truly grateful for that."

"Thanks." Rassen realised that the quarian was sniffling. "Oh keelah I'm about to start crying again, I'm sorry, you must be getting really tired of that by now," Shaela choked out, her body shaking from her sobs once more.

With her trembling body so close to him, Rassen realised again just how thin she was. Gently prying Shaela off of him, to her confusion, the Jedi walked to the two boxes of food, which he had left by the door when they had entered. Picking up the one full of thin tubes, which he assumed was for her, considering that she could not remove her mask, he then sat himself back down next to her. "You need to eat, from the look of you it's been difficult to obtain the amount you need daily while you have been here." He handed the box to Shaela, who stared at it while still sobbing, before he continued.

"I refused to eat for days after the first time I had to kill someone. Though I didn't realise it at the time, it only made everything worse. Please eat Shaela, you'll feel a little better if you do."

The quarian nodded before sliding one of the tubes, which looked to be filled with some kind of dull yellow paste, out of the box and attaching it to the mouth-piece at the front of her mask. Rassen glanced away; he didn't want her to feel as though he was pressuring her. A few minutes later there was a slight pop as Shaela removed the now empty tube from the front of her mask, before placing it on the ground next to her.

"I just… just feel so tired," the quarian mumbled, "but I don't want to go to sleep. If I do then all I'll be able to see will be his face".

Rassen didn't need to ask who she meant. "I may be able to help with that," he began, "by using the Force to calm your mind; I can ensure that you have a dreamless sleep, if you will allow me."

* * *

Shaela blearily opened her eyes to find that she was staring at ceiling of her bedroom. Tracing a crack that ran across the middle of the faded brown ceiling with her eyes, it took a while for the events of the previous day to come back to her. When they did, she quickly focused on the man sitting next to her bed instead, head bowed as he slept.

The Force just seemed to be such an amazing thing to her. She had seen it used to kill people almost effortlessly, but also help them, as her ankle could attest. Now she had it to thank for a rest that hadn't been plagued by nightmares and horrible memories. No, not the Force, but the one who wielded it.

Last night Rassen had supported her to her room and helped her climb into her bed. Though it had only been a few metres from the living room, there was no way that she could have made it without his help. She could just remember the Jedi leaving for a moment before returning with the chair from the living room, before she had fallen asleep. Rassen must have dozed off at some point after, but not before he had calmed her mind. Shaela rose to her feet before softly addressing the Jedi in front of her.

"Rassen? Rassen, wake up, you'll get back pain sleeping like that."

 _Back pain, really? Do you honestly expect that back pain is a concern to someone like him? You obviously just want to talk to him since you find him so interesting._

Shaela shook her head quickly at the nagging voice that had been reprimanding her, before she leapt back in fright as Rassen suddenly surged to his feet, his head quickly snapping from side to side and his breathing heavy and laboured. The Jedi took a moment to focus on her before he seemed to calm slightly, though he still seemed very alarmed.

Shaela stepped closer to him and slowly reached out a hand. "Rassen are you alright? Whatever it was, it was just a dream."

The Jedi got a hold of himself as he responded, "I'm sorry if I scared you Shaela. You are quite right; it was just a dream, disturbing as it was". He walked out of the bedroom, carrying his chair with him and Shaela followed, crossing her arms when he didn't elaborate.

"It must have been some dream to rattle you so much."

Rassen seemed to consider his words before responding, "In truth it was less of a dream and more of a memory. I am… concerned that it may have been more than that however, but I am currently unsure if that is the case."

Shaela couldn't help her interest seeping into her voice as she asked him about it, "Your dreams can hold some kind of meaning?"

"Sometimes a Jedi's dreams can be somewhat prophetic. Much like how I can catch glimpses of what the future may be via instinct, or through meditation, sometimes dreams hold a clue or two as to what will eventually pass." He seemed frustrated as he continued, "This seemed to be a memory, but it was so vivid that it may have been more than that. There is little point in discussing it further until I know more however."

Shaela decided to let the topic rest for the moment before turning her mind elsewhere. "After the umm, troubleyesterday, people will still likely be looking for us all over the station, do you have any suggestions?"

Rassen shrugged non-committedly, "We have a week's worth of food each and the only thing I can think of doing is investigating where I appeared on this station. Unfortunately that would mean leaving the apartment and possibly getting attacked by who knows how many thugs. I would suggest that we stay put, at least for a few days so that people stop actively looking for us."

Shaela nodded and couldn't help feeling relieved. Staying out of trouble for a few days sounded ideal after what the last few had been like. "That sounds like a plan then. Do you ah, mind if I ask you more questions? There is still so much about your galaxy that I don't know."

Rassen seemed to smiling at her as he responded, "Why not, we have plenty of time."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The Longest wait yet for this chapter, so it's only fitting that this be the longest. I only have a basic understanding of the three-act structure, but I like to pretend that this qualifies as the end of act one. Thank you once again to anyone who has shown any kind of support for this story. I always try to respond to reviews/PMs but in some cases I have been unable to. Would anyone like me to respond to them in the A/N before the start of each chapter? Enough waffling from me, please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6: Memories**

Rassen cried out as he awoke suddenly, and promptly tumbled to the floor of Shaela's apartment. The Jedi Knight quickly looked around, head snapping from one direction to another, before he realised where he was and felt his heartbeat begin to slow.

 _It was just a dream. It's over now, calm down._

He held himself still, refusing to make any noise. Shaela had been able to sleep peacefully the past three days, owing to his ability to calm her thoughts and keep her nightmares away. He had been performing the same process each night for her and, after he was sure that she would rest untroubled, then retired to her sofa and slept until morning. While the small quarian had shown more resilience than he had expected, shooting the turian who had attacked them still weighed heavily on her. Therefore, he didn't want to disturb her rest if at all possible.

Satisfied that Shaela was still asleep, since she did not come to investigate the source of the disturbance, Rassen picked himself up off of the floor and gently sat down on the faded brown sofa. He needed to think rationally, dreams could be far more problematic for Jedi than most other beings out there.

What really disturbed him wasn't the dream itself, since the fear and shock faded once he had awoken, but rather its frequency. He had endured the same nightmare that Shaela had awoken him from the past several nights, which could not have simply been a coincidence. Something about it was important, vital even; otherwise he wouldn't keep relieving that particular mission. He had to be missing something, something very important. Rassen closed his eyes and slowly and methodically went through the memory. Nothing stood out to him. Try as he might, Rassen could not identify any differences between the dream that plagued him and his memories of the event itself.

The dream itself was of an event that Rassen could honestly say that he despised. Without a doubt it had been the worst day of his life.

It was the day that his old master had died.

That in itself was strange. That day had been horrific, but it was months ago and Rassen had thought that he had managed to make some sort of peace with it. Just what was causing him to experience the same few memories over and over again after all this time? Trauma? Perhaps, but then why would he feel like he was missing something vital and why had he only started dreaming of it three days ago? Rassen groaned loudly before running his hands over his mask. It had to be important, whatever it was. Had he done anything recently that would have caused his memories to gain new meaning? The dream was becoming more and more vivid each time he had it, though it had remained the same so far. Did that mean he was running out of time? The Jedi shook his head and chose to meditate on the issue; perhaps that would enable him to discover the reason for his recurring dream.

* * *

Rassen delved deeper and deeper into his thoughts as he knelt meditating in the middle of Shaela's living room. Around an hour had passed since he had begun, by his estimation, yet he couldn't think of any action that would have been responsible for him continuing to dream of that day since he had for the first time several days prior.

 _Perhaps it's not what I have done, but rather what I haven't._

That idea brought the Jedi Knight completely out of his meditation. What had he not done that he should have? He had been on Omega for less than a week in total and after a tumultuous first few days, he and Shaela had not left the latter's apartment over the last few. He had spent almost all of his time here trying to help an innocent, a very Jedi thing to do, so what hadn't he done that he needed to? Then it struck him.

He had yet to return to where he had first appeared on Omega and investigate it for clues as to how he had arrived here.

After the debacle in the market, Rassen had entirely forgotten about the need to find out just how he had arrived aboard the station. Truthfully, he had been more concerned with avoiding further conflict and watching over Shaela, rather than giving much thought to his arrival. Yet of all the things that he had and had not done whilst on Omega, the obvious stand-out was that he had fully intended to investigate where he had arrived at one point, but as had yet failed to go back there.

The Force was pushing him to go there, he was sure of it.

He had already decided that it was too obvious to be a mere coincidence. He had started having the dream just hours after the fight in the market, just after the idea of investigating where he had first appeared had completely left his mind. The logical course of action was to finally go to where he had arrived and examine the small storeroom where he had awoken. Hopefully that would shed some light on how he had somehow been transported from one galaxy to another, and also reveal just what it was that he was missing about his dreams.

Rassen sighed slightly and rose from the sofa, before glancing in the direction of Shaela's room. The quarian had shown a slight improvement over the past few days, but the guilt of having to kill the turian who had tried to shoot him still clearly weighed heavily on her. When she moved around the apartment, she lacked the same kind of optimistic energy that she had possessed before and also rarely left his side while awake. As he smoothed out his cloak, Rassen considered his best course of action. If he left to investigate without Shaela, then she would be safe in her apartment, away from any fighting should anyone be going out of their way to look for them. On the other hand, the quarian knew the station better than he did. It could very easily be the case that if he investigated the site of his arrival, he would not be able to identify anything out of place. If Shaela came along however, she might very well be able to spot something that he could not.

Rassen detached his mask slowly from his face, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply as he did so. He honestly couldn't decide; pragmatism was warring with his desire to protect the small quarian. He needed to eat anyway; he could mull it over while doing so. The Jedi Knight removed one of the foil packets from its box and tore it open before bringing it to his lips. As had been his experience over the last few days, the thick yellow paste within tasted somewhat like over-cooked nerf meat that had been left under a hot sun for several hours. Nonetheless, the box claimed that it contained all of the nutrients required for a human for the period of one standard day, so he couldn't complain too much.

Chewing thoughtfully, Rassen considered his options slowly before arriving at his decision. He both wanted to keep Shaela out of trouble and also have her to help him if he needed her. He could have both if he went to investigate alone and used his omni-tool to contact her once he reached his destination. Shaela had shown him how to operate both the communication and camera functions of the device just a few days ago. Therefore he could have her help without putting her in danger.

Swallowing the last of his paste, Rassen wiped his mouth before then reattaching his mask, checking that its straps were secure around the back of his head and then lifting his hood back over it. Having done so, he turned again to look in the direction of Shaela's bedroom. As much as he was going alone to keep her safe, he had a horrible feeling that Shaela would not react well to being left behind. The alternative however was just too risky. If she had to kill again so soon after her first time, he doubted that she would be able to ever truly recover. Ensuring that his lightsaber was firmly clipped to his belt and his rifle to his back, Rassen quietly exited his apartment. Hopefully he would need neither weapon; he had endured enough violence for a while. His description was likely all over this level of the station at this point and perhaps even over every level however. Since he would be well-known, intimidation was his best route for avoiding trouble. Subtlety was long gone, unfortunately.

* * *

The battle had been going well so far. The Republic soldiers had managed to ambush the Imperial camp on the small jungle world successfully so far, with their enemies being caught completely off-guard. As a result, a quarter of the enemy's soldiers hadn't been able to fire off more than a few shots from their weapons before they had been cut down, their corpses now littering the jungle floor.

Rassen calmly spun his lightsaber, its hum a comfort among the carnage of the fighting as he deflected a blaster bolt back at the Imperial soldier aiming at him. The bolt slammed into the man's neck, between the bulky helmet and chest plate where the armour was thinner. Like a marionette with its strings cut, the trooper crashed in a heap to the ground. Another black-armoured opponent fired at him from behind a tree thirty feet away, the blaster bolt evaporating the raindrops in its path as it roared its way towards the Jedi's face. Rassen simply side-stepped the attack, the Force having warned him of it moments before the trooper had fired, before reaching out his left-hand and yanking the man's weapon away from him. The blaster rifle flew into the undergrowth somewhere behind him, prompting his opponent to go for the heavy-looking pistol on his hip. Before Rassen could dispatch the solider with the Force, a bolt of green energy did the job for him, smashing through the centre of the trooper's visor and sending him spinning away.

The Jedi quickly glanced over to his right to see a Republic soldier, clad in white armour with several segments outlined in blue. The woman nodded to him and then continued advancing, using the trees wherever possible for cover and occasionally firing at the wilting enemy. Rassen followed her advance, deflecting any shots that came near him with ease as the enemy became increasingly desperate. He came to a halt during a moment of calm and raised his left-wrist to speak into the communicator strapped to his armour, aiming to inform the person on the other side of the situation…

* * *

Rassen froze in surprise, leaning against the wall next to him before glancing around to get his bearings. The dimly lit corridor that he currently stood in, a staple of Omega in all honesty, was fortunately deserted. He had only been travelling for around half an hour and had yet to be confronted by anyone, to his relief. Without warning though, he had suddenly felt a tug at the edge of his perceptions, soon being plunged into a memory so vivid that he could have sworn that it had been real. Rassen took a moment to collect himself as the last vestiges of the memory slipped away. It was affecting him while he was awake now too? While he had dreamt about it for several days, it had never filled his mind like that while he was awake. What did that mean? Did his decision to investigate mean that the Force was more determined to tell him something? Did it mean that he was closer to some answers?

Rassen pushed himself away from the wall, jaw set with determination. Regardless, he had a strong suspicion that the only way that he was going to get any answers would be to continue on his way. The Jedi began walking in the same direction that he had before, keeping alert for any further trouble, internal or otherwise.

* * *

Shaela awoke slowly, languidly stretching out her limbs in all directions before gently climbing out of her bed. She walked sleepily to her bathroom before locking the door and padding to the mirror. The quarian slowly inspected herself in the cracked glass opposite, keeping a careful eye out for any sign of damage to either her mask or suit. She had completely forgotten to do so after the events at the market and it was high time that she made sure that nothing was worn-out or worse still, damaged. After inspecting every part of her suit by running a hand across it, using the mirror to check from different angles, Shaela nodded to her reflection in satisfaction, who dutifully nodded back. She then left the bathroom and turned to walk into her living room, a greeting for her human friend on her lips.

She froze in surprise when she saw the empty room in front of her. Normally Rassen was awake before she was, but regardless of whether he was asleep or awake, he had always been waiting for her in the living room when she looked for him. She quickly glanced around the room in confusion. Where could he have gone? He wasn't in any room of her apartment, meaning that he must be elsewhere, but why would he have left the safety of the immediate area? For a moment the very real fear that her friend had abandoned her entered into her mind, causing Shaela to begin to hyperventilate. Eventually managing to force herself to calm down, Shaela slowly repeated reassurances to her herself and the empty room around her over and over.

"He wouldn't just leave, not after everything. He would have told me first or maybe left a note at least he wouldn't have just…"

Shaela took a deep, shuddering breath before remembering the omni-tool on her arm. "Of course! We swapped omni-tool addresses!" She quickly selected Rassen's name, tapping her foot in frustration as her device took a while to connect to his. She really needed to upgrade her omni-tool when she could afford it; her current model was hopelessly outdated.

* * *

Rassen fell to one knee as the images overwhelmed his mind. It had been a couple of hours since he had first been bombarded by his old memories and now they were back, stronger than before. He wasn't far from where he had first arrived, having long since passed the intersection where he and Shaela had first met. Groaning with the effort, the Jedi Knight slowly forced himself to his feet. It wouldn't take him long to finish his excursion, he couldn't be more than a ten or-so minutes away from his destination. Of course, knowing Omega…

"Hssss. _Human_."

… Something was still bound to go wrong.

Rassen glanced around, quickly spotting one of the skeletal aliens that he had noticed upon first arriving on Omega. While he and Shaela had bunkered down for the past few days, he had tried to learn as much as he could about this new galaxy. If memory served, then this being belonged to the race known as the vorcha. To say that they had an _unwholesome_ reputation would be putting it lightly.

The vorcha crept forward, small beady eyes scanning him cautiously as it did so. Drool dripped from needle-sharp teeth in long strings before falling to the floor. Wiry yet powerful looking muscles coiled as it drew nearer, ragged breaths hissing from its throat. Rassen managed to pull himself entirely straight before the newcomer continued.

"Not asssss tasty asssss asssssari, no no. Ssssssstill good though, just needsssss more work." The vorcha snarled at him, and then charged forward, covering the few metres that separated the two of them with blinding speed. Fortunately for Rassen however, this was not the first time that he had faced such a direct opponent. Summoning the Force instinctively, the Jedi waved his hand, freezing the vorcha mid-snarl, its outstretched claws still reaching for him. Rassen then stepped closer to the now terrified alien, who had begun whimpering slightly as it realised the precariousness of its position.

"You do not want to eat me. In fact, you never want to eat anyone ever again, human, asari or indeed anyone of any species." He let the Force flow through his words, the vorcha's untrained and simple mind being easily swayed by his use of it. "This is your only chance from me; even one such as you deserves one. You will not receive another." Unbidden, Rassen's mind flashed back to the batarians that had harassed him and later Shaela. They been given another chance and squandered it, and they had been far more intelligent than the pitiful creature now before him. Was there really any point in giving it another chance? Did it truly have the mental capacity to change, to better itself? For one brief, oh so brief moment, the Jedi found his hand toying with the hilt of his lightsaber…

Rassen froze, horrified at what he had almost done. All life deserved a second chance, all life was worthy of being given the opportunity for redemption. He looked at the still frozen vorcha before continuing, voice trembling only slightly. "Go now. Heed my words and become better than you once were."

The vorcha nodded quickly as it was released before then scarpering away, its footfalls quickly being lost as it raced around the corner and disappeared into the bowels of the station. Rassen sighed heavily, hoping that he had made the right choice. If he had not then who knew how many people the vorcha might kill for food? The guilt would lie with him as much as the creature itself if the latter reverted back to its old ways.

The memories that he had been trying to supress, having died down during the altercation with the vorcha, now returned with more force than ever. Rassen felt himself slipping back into the past as they swiftly overwhelmed him.

* * *

Rassen spoke calmly into his communicator, "Master Dorass, the Imperials are running out of soldiers on the left-flank. I have yet to see any Sith or enemy vehicles however."

There was a slight distortion as his master responded, her normally melodic voice sounding rougher than usual as a result. "The same is true here on the right-flank as well Rassen, keep your wits about you. While the Imperials have been taken off-guard, the attack should have not been this effective."

"I understand master and will keep you informed."

"Rassen," the twi'lek's voice was hesitant as she responded. "You may not be my Padawan anymore, but I want you to avoid any risks all the same."

Rassen nodded, not that she could see. "As you wish Master Dorass, but be sure to watch your own back as well."

The middle-aged Twi'lek, never one to let him have the last word, laughed lightly before replying, "It is for your own safety that I am advising you, my old apprentice. Your back is far larger than mine; it presents a much more tempting target." The communication then cut off, indicating that the conversation was over.

Rassen couldn't help chuckling to himself and shaking his head slightly. "All these years since we first met and she's just as funny as when she first chose me as her Padawan." He then continued his advance, noting that the Republic trooper from before must have kept moving forward without him. He was falling behind, time to catch up.

An hour later and Rassen couldn't sense any more Imperial soldiers in the vicinity. There hadn't been any droids either since the rain, which by this point had made his brown cloak so sodden that it clung heavily to his armour, would likely have wreaked havoc on the exposed electronics of the crude models that the Empire frequently employed. His last report to Master Dorass had been around half an hour prior, high-time to check in. He stowed his lightsaber on his belt and began raising the communicator to his lips, when it suddenly burst into life.

"Rassen, the Imperials have launched a counter-offensive, they must have more troops than we expected!" There was the sound of a blaster firing somewhere near his Master, which was swiftly followed by a scream of agony. He was already moving towards her last known position, but her next words stopped his heart in his chest. "I don't know how many mo-… Sith, at least three of them!" The sound of igniting lightsabers chilled Rassen's blood, he'd never fought a Sith before and had naively hopped to never have to. That hope seemed so quaint with hindsight. Master Dorass' voice returned as the sound of lightsabers clashing began. "We need you here Rassen, there are too many of them and the soldiers here with me and I-" there was a burst of static as the line suddenly went dead. That was enough for Rassen. Calling on the Force to aid him; he sprinted towards where he could feel the presence of his old master, still alive, but her spirit tinged with desperation.

* * *

Rassen didn't know how long it took to fly through the jungle to reach his old teacher. All he knew was that he had to get there immediately. The native fauna scattered before him in terror as he barrelled through the rainstorm, small reptilian herbivores with brown skin screeching in fear as he crashed through the lush green undergrowth. Master Dorass' presence was growing stronger; she could not be far away now. The corners of Rassen's vision were steadily growing dark as the Jedi continued to push himself to his physical limit, the Force allowing him to move rapidly, but being insufficient to replenish the energy he was burning at an astonishing rate. As he burst into a small clearing, roughly circular in shape, he finally saw her.

The twi'lek Jedi had always possessed a poised elegance when it came to lightsaber combat, preferring the balance of the Niman form to the more specialised lightsaber forms such as Ataru. That elegance was on full display as the Jedi Master calmly blocked the more visceral and brutal attacks of the two Sith who were locked in combat with her, occasionally using the Force to strike her foes with rocks and branches from the jungle floor. Rassen noted that a third lay face-down on the ground about ten feet away from him, the crimson of their blood mixing with a nearby puddle before being soaked into the ground. Likewise, the corpses of both Republic and Imperial soldiers dotted the clearing in various degrees of dismemberment. The twi'lek Jedi was clearly exhausted however as while she had managed to keep her traditional poise; her two opponents seemed notably faster than her as they closed in, crimson blades crashing against the lone green, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

As Rassen moved to intercept, one of the Sith broke away and lunged towards him, single-bladed red lightsaber raised above their head for a downward slash. The Jedi pivoted away and moved back to put some space between him and his opponent. As the Sith wheeled round to face him, Rassen drew his own lightsaber, the sapphire blade hissing to life. As the Sith assumed their own stance, Rassen calmly dropped into the same stance as his old Master. The hilt of his lightsaber was held at waist height, with the blade being angled down and to the right in front of him, left leg in front of the right. For a moment that seemed to span an eternity, nothing happened. The rain continued to fall, hissing noises occasionally rising as stray drops caught the blades of the combatants. The sound of Master Dorass and the other Sith duelling behind Rassen seemed to fade into silence as he kept his eyes locked on the Sith in front of him. The spike of fear that had gripped him when he had learned that the old enemy of the Jedi were present had vanished. In its place Rassen felt nothing but concentration; in this moment it was just him and the Sith across from him.

The Sith seemed to tilt his head for a moment before adopting the same stance as Rassen, seemingly humouring him the way a parent would a disobedient child. He then became deathly still, much like he had been before. Rassen took the calm before the storm to analyse his opponent. He (Rassen assumed that he was male) was tall and muscular like Rassen himself, meaning that Rassen was unlikely to best him through physical might. Niman had been a good choice then, since it would enable him to engage his foe with the Force as well as his lightsaber relatively easily and so not rely excessively on his physical strength. Unfortunately his opponent had seemingly reached the same conclusion. The Sith began to slowly circle him as Rassen calmly turned, keeping his opponent firmly in his line of sight, determined not to allow his foe to get behind him. For the briefest moment the Sith seemed to nod in approval, causing Rassen to frown. Why was his foe acknowledging that he was impressed? The Jedi was torn from his thoughts as the black-robed figure lunged forward, intent on impaling him through the abdomen…

* * *

Rassen snapped out of his vision to hear a shrill beeping emerging from his left-wrist. Moaning quietly as the memories stabbed at the edge of his mind like a swarm of insects, he managed to press the accept button on his omni-tool as he slowly rose to his feet.

Shaela's voice immediately came through after a moment of static. "Rassen, where are you? I thought that we agreed that it was too dangerous to leave the apartment for a while." The quarian seemed to pause for a moment before continuing in a worried tone, "Are you hurt? Do you need help?"

Rassen managed to force his somewhat uncooperative legs to begin moving as the memory grew worse, images from it slowly seeming to merge with the physical world in front of him. He barely managed to answer her; his head was swimming so badly. "I… I'm unharmed, Shaela. I'm sorry if I worried you, but I have to find some answers as to how I arrived here, and I wanted to keep you safe… if that is at all possible on Omega."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before the quarian responded. "What about you though Rassen? I've seen you do things that I would never have imagined possible, but you're not unstoppable. Don't you… don't you trust me enough to help you? I said that I wanted to help you find out how you got here." A profound sadness had entered the quarian's tone towards the end and Rassen could feel his guilt from earlier return, even stronger than before. They had gone through so much already in the short time that they had known one another. Had it really been right to leave Shaela behind, even if he had done so to protect her? Rassen swallowed heavily before glancing around. He was close now, just around this corner and down the hallway lay the small storeroom where he had first awakened to this new galaxy.

"I do trust you Shaela. I just… just wanted to keep you as safe as possible. As a Jedi it is expected that I will face danger many times over the course of my life so that others do not have to, and furthermore… furthermore I don't want you to be put in danger because of me. You have gone through more than enough since we first met."

There was silence again before Shaela responded. "I know Rassen, keelah, I know. We're friends though, and friendship only works if we truly trust each other. Please, trust me enough to help you."

Rassen had rounded the corner and could see the door that led to the small storage room where he had first appeared. "As I said Shaela, I do trust you. I'm truly sorry that I caused you to doubt that." He swallowed again; the door was only a few feet away now. "I've just reached the room where I first appeared. When I return I'll tell you everything, I promise." Ignoring Shaela's protests, Rassen switched the call off, feeling guiltier than ever as he did so. If there truly was something about the vision that he was missing then he might need to experience it with as little interference as possible to notice the difference. That did not mean that he was proud of telling his friend that he trusted her and then promptly cutting their conversation short less than a minute later.

 _Feel guilty when this is done. Figure out how you got onto this damn station first._

Fragments of the memory had begun to crawl across Rassen's vision as he reached out and slowly pressed a finger to the display to the left of the door. The dull orange light next to the rusted entrance throbbed slightly in response to his touch as the door itself slowly slid open. The Jedi Knight stepped inside, eyes alert for any potential clues.

The small room looked the same as when he had first awakened there. There were a few shelves containing rusted parts for some kind of machine and tins filled with Force-knew-what, all coated with a thick layer of dust. Yet something was different. The Force felt off… almost as if something had been changed here, something so fundamental that it was almost unnoticeable. Something was different to when he had awakened here a week prior; the Force had felt perfectly normal to him then, hence why he hadn't even considered the possibility that a clue as to how he had arrived could be here at first. Whatever the difference was though it was almost familiar… and unsettling. It was like he was being watched.

Rassen fell to his knees, struggling with all of his might to keep the vision at bay as he tried to examine the small room for clues. He was just about to call Shaela, realising that it had been rather stupid to end the call when she could likely be of help, particularly when his fracturing mind remembered that he had wanted her assistance earlier, when a sliver of ice entered his heart. He had suddenly realised that he _had_ felt the Force feel off like this before, and that realisation caused a profound sense of terror to well up inside of him. The vision took hold once more and Rassen felt his eyes roll back up into his head…

* * *

Pain. All-consuming pain accompanied by the smell of cooking meat. Rassen groaned in agony, straining to lift himself off of the ground. He collapsed back down as the torture reached unbearable levels. He had lost. Despite everything he had tried, the Sith had been too powerful, his lightsaber strikes too fast, his command of the Force too strong. Rassen barely held back a scream as another blast of lighting struck him dead on. Blackness clawed at the corners of his vision as the man responsible moved slowly into his field of vision. He hadn't been strong enough. Master Dorass' opponent had taken advantage of her exhaustion and managed to stab the Jedi through the side just after she had managed to do the same to him. Rassen had been losing ground quickly to his own opponent and as he had felt his Master's pain through the Force, had led his concentration waver just long enough for the Sith to catch him with a vicious telekinetic blast and then several jets of violet lightning. He had been unable to keep standing after that and now he lay on his back, defeated.

Crawling desperately to his old teacher's side, Rassen grabbed onto her hand and squeezed it tightly. At least if he was to die, he would do so next to her. The twi'lek was a pitiful sight, her other hand pressed firmly against her wound with her eyes clasped tightly shut. Her lightsaber lay next to her, smashed beyond repair, its crystal removed. The Sith, who seemed to be taking his time approaching them, had destroyed her lightsaber before taking its most important component, though in Rassen's case he had taken the whole weapon rather than just the crystal.

As he squeezed her hand, despite her obvious pain, the older Jedi was able to open her eyes and look upon him as the Sith stopped in the corner of his vision, seemingly observing. In spite of the direness of the situation, Master Dorass managed to find the strength to smile at him.

"There is no death, there is the Force. Remember that _kaleo_."

Kaleo.

 _Kaleo._

 _Son._

Rassen could barely hold back his tears as his mentor's eyes drifted shut for the last time. He had truly meant that much to her? Other Jedi Masters had always looked at the two of them with some degree of suspicion, but he had never thought anything of it. Had he truly been like a son to her? Rassen was torn from his thoughts as invisible hands wrenched him away from her and rolled him onto his back to see the Sith standing over him, a dark spectre occasionally illuminated by the lightning above. He hadn't been able to during their duel, but from his position on the ground, Rassen could finally see past his opponent's hood.

The Sith wore a combat mask common among his kind; black, grey and blood red being the dominant colours, with deep scratches from eye level to the edge of the jaw across the surface of it. Twisted runes of the Dark Side were inscribed across the cheekbones in black ink, many of them missing sections as a result of the stress of combat. The mask itself was terrifying, but what was far worse was the gaze that projected from the man's eye-slit.

There was no pity in that gaze, no sympathy, and no sense of compassion or mercy. Rassen couldn't help the shiver that crawled down his spine as looked into the eyes of a monster.

The Sith leaned down slowly towards him as Rassen felt his entire body clench, unmoving in the grip of a Force stasis. The masked Sith then reached out with an agonising slowness and pressed a finger to Rassen's forehead. This time he couldn't help screaming as he felt the Sith enter his mind…

* * *

Rassen screamed as he sat up violently, glancing around in terror before realising that he was still in the storeroom. Minutes passed as the Jedi slowly managed to calm down, his breathing eventually slowing to something resembling normal. Now he understood why the Force had kept showing him the same event, why he had felt like he was missing something.

It was because he had been.

His dream always started in the same place, with the surprise attack against the Imperials going better than expected. It also proceeded in the same way, Master Dorass eventually calling for help, him arriving and then joining her in battling the Sith. Then, after only a few minutes his Master fell, having just dealt a fatal blow to the second Sith, who managed to return the favour. The third then took advantage of Rassen's distraction to defeat him. Rassen was then tortured before his Master told him her last words and then the Sith rolled him over with the Force to face him. It was at that point that his memories and dream for that matter ceased. The next thing that he could recall had been awakening on board a Republic medical ship, being told that he was the only survivor of the task force. Upon recounting the mission in its entirety and realising that there was a missing period of several hours, he had been told that any gaps in his memory were to be expected due to trauma.

At the time he had simply accepted it, glad to be alive. Post-traumatic stress disorder was very common during times of intense warfare and the conflict with the Sith Empire certainly qualified as such. In the months after though, Rassen had been deeply troubled by the fact that the last thing that he could remember had been looking up into the Sith's terrifying visage. Eventually he had managed to persuade himself that the Sith had been partly a fabrication of his mind; the man had picked up his lightsaber, yet the medical team that had retrieved him had found his weapon lying next to his body. What possible motivation could the Sith have had for simply leaving him there anyway, with his lightsaber no less? Yet now he knew that it was not that simple. He hadn't forgotten the gap between being rolled over by the Sith and awakening in Republic medical bay because of stress.

He had forgotten because the Sith had made him forget.

It made perfect sense. The Sith had pressed a finger to his forehead and done something, anything potentially, and it was somehow linked to how he had arrived here on Omega, in a galaxy different to his own. The lost memories were why he had felt that he was missing something and his dreams were both his mind and the Force trying to fill in what it was that he had lost. Moving closer to his point of arrival with the aim of finding out how he had arrived there had caused the existing memories of that day to grow stronger and stronger until he had been unable to repress them while conscious and with the Force presence of the Sith being the final trigger, some of what he had lost had resurfaced as well.

The Sith had done something to him, something related to how he was here. He had then erased what he had done and the fact that he had done it from Rassen's mind, though the Jedi could now at least recall that the Sith had done _something_. The feeling that he had gotten from the Force upon re-entering this room had been the same thing that he had felt when the Sith had touched his finger to his forehead months prior, albeit without the accompanying pain. That meant that the Sith had visited this room after his arrival in this galaxy, presumably looking for him. So many questions remained though. What had the Sith done? Why had he done it instead of simply killing him or turning him to the Dark Side? Perhaps most importantly of all though; how did it connect to him being here in another galaxy and why had there been such a time span between that day and his arrival here? Months had passed since that fateful day on that Force-damned jungle planet, the name of which he couldn't even remember, and his sudden arrival on Omega, in full-armour, with his lightsaber and even the blaster rifle that he only used rarely.

He needed to find further answers and he had an idea about where to begin. The Sith had something to do with how he had arrived in Shaela's galaxy and he was in all likelihood nearby, possibly monitoring the station itself.

Perhaps he was on board at this very moment, plotting Force-knew what.

Rassen pulled himself to his feet, pushing away his fear and confusion as much as he could. He knew what he needed to do. He had to find out as much information about the station as possible, from the person who knew it best.

He needed to have a talk with whoever was in charge of Omega.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I just wanted to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has shown support for this story by following it, adding it to their favourites, or reviewing. Seeing that people are interested really inspires me to keep writing, even when I have moments of self-doubt.**

 **I mentioned in my last A/N that I might start responding to reviews in my A/Ns if for whatever reason I can't do it directly via PM. It seemed rude to not respond to those I couldn't PM, so for those who have yet to hear back from me…**

 **deathcornfive: I love the pairing as well (a romantic at heart I suppose) but we'll have to wait and see! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!**

 **Whoop wjdjdj: I'll try to work on pacing. My worry was that I'd slam two universes together and the story would feel contrived and awkward as a result. For example, a Star Wars character could refer to an elevator (lift) as an elevator, rather than a turbolift. That would only work if they'd been in the Mass Effect universe long enough to learn that term. Truthfully, one of the biggest challenges I've found is that since I'm drawing on two separate universes, it is difficult to keep our two leads consistent and unknowing of what I know if that makes sense. Thank you so much for your kind words though! Some great stories on this site helped me through some busy times just last year. The fact that I've managed to do that for you feels amazing!**

 **Chapter 7: Afterlife**

The minutes wore on as Shaela continued to pace anxiously from one side of her living room to another. She had tried to call Rassen several times after he had abruptly cut her first call short, but had met with no success. The quarian had gone over the possible reasons in her head constantly. It was most likely that the Jedi had simply refused to answer, or he had adjusted his settings so that he hadn't noticed her incoming calls. There was a third possibility however, but it was one that Shaela at first refused to allow herself to entertain. It was becoming more and more difficult to ignore it though, as the minutes continued to slip away.

 _Unless that bosh'tet has a damn good reason for his behaviour, I am going to kill him._

Ancestors knew how many times the quarian turned to glance at her door and then took a step towards it. She always then stopped and returned to pacing the length of the room. Part of her—the part that desired to help her friend—the selfless part inherent in every quarian, demanded that she try to find Rassen and help him, just as she would for another member of the Migrant Fleet. Every time that part of her looked like it had won out however, Shaela saw the face of the turian that she had killed before. What if she went to help Rassen and had to fight to get to him? She would certainly try to run rather than fight anyone, but if that was not an option then she might have to…

Shaela stopped pacing and slumped against the nearest wall before sobbing softly. She didn't know what to do. Guilt gnawed at her for not helping her friend but fear, both of what lay outside the safety of the apartment and also of what she might have to do outside of its confines, made it impossible for her to do anything.

She had just resumed pacing again; about three hours after the omni-tool call had come to an abrupt end, when suddenly there was the sound of the door unlocking. Shaela quickly ran to her bedroom, returning with her pistol and holding it with shaking hands in the direction of the doorway. Thoughts of who might be trying to gain entry flooded the young woman's mind. Batarians, vorcha or even a krogan were the ones most likely to try and raid the apartment of another person on the station. The former two went around in groups and her hands were shaking too badly for her to feel confident that she could take out more than one. As for the latter, going up against a krogan was normally a death sentence unless you had a whole squad of soldiers for support; she probably wouldn't last more than a few moments against one of those.

Shaela froze in horror as she realised that she had been seriously considering how many lives she could take before losing her own. Had shooting that turian changed her that much? Had she truly accepted that she could take life to the extent that she wondered how many she could end, rather than whether she could do it in the first place?

The quarian snapped out of her thoughts as the door ground open, before she felt a wave of relief. Rassen stood in the doorway unharmed, armour no less battered than before, his brown cloak flowing slightly around him as he entered. The Jedi tilted his head in confusion slightly at the pistol pointed straight at him and Shaela lowered it quickly, embarrassed at how it must have appeared to him.

She glanced lamely up at the human as he drew closer. "S-sorry," she began, "I thought you might be... might be," she trailed off, guilt giving way to confusion as Rassen stepped past her and sat heavily on her sofa, head bowed in thought. Had he not heard her? Shaela quickly checked her suit's audio systems. Everything appeared to be functioning normally. Her voice was just as audible to him as it was to her. Why then had he not responded?

Rassen was clearly lost in thought about something, something important if it was enough to distract the Jedi so utterly from his surroundings that having a gun pointed at him had only produced a head-tilt. He barely seemed to be aware of anything Shaela thought, considering how he had acted like she wasn't there. She made her way over to the sofa and slowly sat down beside him, watching her friend carefully as he didn't react in the slightest to her proximity. Hesitantly, she addressed him as she carefully prodded his shoulder.

"Rassen?"

The Jedi stirred slightly and slowly turned to look at her, almost seeming to have forgotten that she was in the same room as him.

"Yes Shaela?"

Shaela considered her next words carefully; Rassen was clearly concerned about something. If she tried to force him to answer then he might close himself off completely. She decided to start with a question related only indirectly to why the human had left her apartment without warning. "Are you alright?" She asked softly.

Rassen didn't move at all as he answered her. "I am unharmed, if that is what you meant."

She couldn't help scowling slightly, not that he could see it behind her mask. "You know that wasn't what I meant." She paused for a moment. "You aren't though are you? I mean, you looked fine when you came in."

"No. I am not injured… not physically at least." The last part was barely a whisper and Shaela had to lean forward to catch it. Not physically hurt, so Rassen must have felt that he may have suffered some kind of psychological damage while gone. She pondered that for a moment. He seemed to be speaking with no more difficulty than normal, aside from that fact that he was more closed off than she had come to expect. Shaela felt a stab of irritation. If she wanted to become a doctor than she should be able to have at least some kind of an idea of what was wrong with him. Unfortunately however she hadn't a clue.

"I found some answers. Well, not all of the answers I wanted and some that I wish I didn't have. Still that's something at least." Rassen's voice broke through Shaela's thoughts and she turned her attention back to the man sitting next to her.

Despite her curiosity, she almost didn't ask what Rassen meant, but she did so anyway. "W-what do you mean exactly?" She waited patiently as the Jedi slowly gathered his thoughts. Telling her was clearly difficult for him and so she decided to let him go at his own pace.

"Do you recall our conversations about the things from my galaxy; the Republic, the Jedi and so on?"

Shaela nodded, "I always find our conversations interesting Rassen. You know that."

Rassen seemed to smile from behind his mask for a moment, though how she knew he was doing that she couldn't say. "As do I Shaela. You recall however that there was one subject that I always refused to elaborate on?"

The quarian felt her blood run cold. Even though she knew next to nothing about the Sith, what little Rassen had told her, coupled with the large amount that he hadn't was enough to terrify her. "What about them?" She asked breathlessly.

Rassen leaned forward, elbows on his knees and head in his hands as he answered her. "I think there may be one here, on this very station, looking for me as we speak."

Shaela's mouth was dry as she tried to formulate a response. Now it was Rassen who waited patiently as the quarian struggled to ask the questions that she needed answers to. Eventually she managed to croak out just one word.

"How?"

Rassen sighed, a sound filled with pain, frustration and deep tiredness before he launched into an explanation. "A few months ago…"

* * *

Shaela couldn't help a few tears escaping as the Jedi finished his explanation, seemingly on the verge of tears himself, if the roughness of his voice was any indication. To have had your memories tampered with, the woman who might as well have been your mother die in front of you, be tortured by one of your greatest enemies and finally realise that you couldn't escape from them, even in a different galaxy… she had no words. Before she could think of anything to say to comfort her friend, Rassen turned to look at her.

The human let out deep, shuddering sigh before seeming to pull himself together somewhat. "The Sith has visited where I first awoke on this station. I have no doubt about that. I have to find out where he is now… and confront him."

Shaela gasped in shock. "You can't be serious! If he is after you then surely the best thing you can do is get off of Omega as soon as possible!"

"No."

"I-… what?"

"I cannot leave. If he was responsible for transporting me to this galaxy then he will likely know how I can return to my own." The Jedi next to her trailed off slightly before continuing. "Besides, the longer he is allowed to roam freely, the more people he can hurt. I have to find him as soon as possible and defeat him before he can do anything truly horrific, assuming that he hasn't already."

"Where are you going to start then? Can you use the Force to find him?"

Rassen chuckled mirthlessly, "I wish that it was that simple. No, Sith can be very difficult to find if they want to be. The Dark Side of the Force can be used to conceal one's presence, making a Sith near impossible to detect." Shaela watched him shrink in on himself slightly; wandering what the alternative could be that would cause him to look so depressed. Even knowing that it was going to be bad, she still wasn't prepared for what he said next.

"The best course of action as I see it is talking to whoever it is that runs Omega."

The quarian froze in shock. He couldn't be serious. Aria T'loak had a reputation and one rule, both of which she had overheard only a few days after she had first arrived aboard the station. Regarding the first, Aria never had the same enemy for very long. They ended up dead or worse very quickly. As for the one rule… well that in itself explained why the Pirate Queen had the reputation that she did.

 _Don't fuck with Aria._

"Rassen", she beseeched him, "please don't involve yourself with her."

The Jedi tilted his head at her in surprise. "You know who the person in charge of Omega is?"

Shaela shuddered before she found the words to respond. "Everyone who has been here long enough does. Aria T'loak is the self-proclaimed Queen of Omega. She's dangerous Rassen, lethal even. Almost everyone who involves themselves with her ends up dead or wishes they were when she's finished with them." She locked eyes with the human, trying desperately to see if he understood through their connected gazes. Rassen stared back and not for the first time Shaela found herself wishing that he didn't wear that ancestors' damned mask. At least the ones that quarians wore allowed for their eyes to be seen clearly. Between that and her people's use of body language, they were able to communicate effectively despite the fact that they had to wear their suits at all times. Rassen's mask concealed his entire face though, the icy visor that ran at eye level being completely opaque from her side. When the human became still he didn't seem to move so much as a muscle and combined with his mask, she never could tell what he was thinking when he was deep in thought unless he spoke.

"I guessed as much Shaela, but however bad she is, this man is far worse both in terms of physical prowess and the evil that he is capable of." Shaela felt her heart sink. Rassen didn't understand; he thought that Aria was just another thug like the ones that he had met aboard Omega so far. She was about to try and explain it to him again when the Jedi managed to beat her to it.

"Don't worry; I don't plan to underestimate this Aria T'loak, Shaela. I've dealt with pirates and underworld crime bosses before and I know first-hand just how dangerous they can be." Rassen gently squeezed her shoulder and Shaela felt a wave of relief. She had been wrong; he did understand, thank the ancestors.

"Which is why I want to go and see her alone."

Instantly the relief was gone, worry taking its place. "No Rassen, you can't. Aria will probably have a small army of guards and you're just one person. What if something goes wrong? You can't possibly fight an army on your own."

"It wouldn't the first time I've been heavily outnumbered." The man next to her sighed before continuing. "When I went alone this morning to find some answers, you mentioned that you were worried that I didn't trust you. I do Shaela, completely. Please trust me when I say that I need to speak with Aria as soon as possible and that I believe that I can do so without a fight breaking out."

"How can you know that for sure though?"

"Crime bosses may often love violence, but rarely do they partake in it near their possessions. If Aria values anything near her on Omega then I doubt that she will try anything if I go directly to her peacefully. Doing so means that she doesn't get to choose the location of our encounter. A fight would benefit no one as I have no interest in deposing her… at least while the Sith is around. I will need help to deal with the latter… no matter how _unsavoury_ it may be. I just need to convince Aria of the threat the Sith poses to everyone he could encounter, her included." The Jedi's voice had gained a note of disgust towards the end of his explanation, but Shaela was more concerned with an earlier part of it.

She struggled through her fear to get her words out. "Y-you have me."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm your friend Rassen and when you left without telling me this morning… I was honestly scared, terrified even." Rassen looked like he was about to interrupt her, but she pushed on before he could. "When you responded to my first call I could tell that something was very wrong, that you were deeply concerned about something. Truthfully that had me much more scared than waking up and thinking that you might have abandoned me here to go off on your own."

"I would never have abandoned you like that Shaela. I'm truly sorry if you thought that I had done that to you."

Shaela rose to her feet and then stood in front of the Jedi, who craned this head to look up at her. She had to make her point strongly so that he understood it completely. "Looking back at it," she began, "I know that you left me behind to try and keep me safe, and I'm grateful to have someone like you looking out for me Rassen. This is Omega though; safety is something that doesn't exist here. You've seen that many times in the period that you've known me." The Jedi nodded once and Shaela smiled beneath her mask. She was getting through to him.

She opened her mouth to continue, before quickly adjusting the left shoulder of her environment suit from where it had begun slipping off of her slight frame. That had never happened before her Pilgrimage had begun. She would have to find a job soon; she had been forced to ration her last few credits for far too long. In fact, before meeting Rassen, she had been reduced to stretching one week's worth of nutrient paste to last two weeks. If they had ended up buying their food several days ago, that would have been the last of her money gone. Satisfied that the shoulder section was properly in place, she crossed her arms and then continued.

"I doubted you this morning and that was a mistake, but one I only made because you made one first. Like I said earlier; friendship only works if we trust one another. You said that you trust me, so trust me enough to help you find this Sith, Rassen. We can go and see Aria together."

She could practically see the wheels turning in her friend's head as he processed her words slowly. Finally he responded. "Why though Shaela? You only took your first life a few days ago, why take the risk that you might have to fight again? Why come with me to see Aria when the idea clearly terrifies you?"

Shaela forced down her now returning fear as much as she could. "I don't want to fight anyone Rassen, but you need my help. If you go to see Aria alone then she might guess that you have no allies or resources. Even if she has information about the Sith, she might simply refuse to give it to you unless you're willing to do things for her to obtain it. Or she might simply have her 'security' attack you." Shaela shifted her weight from one leg to the other before continuing. "If you have a partner though, then she might take you seriously and give you the information you want in order to keep you out of trouble, if we can convince her that you're a mercenary."

"Do you really think that Aria will believe that if I tell her?"

"It's possible. There are many mercenaries on Omega and those who don't belong to one of the major groups often have customised armour. That is your best bet for finding out more about the Sith if you think seeing Aria is the best option."

"Truthfully Shaela, I think it's the only option and your idea of posing as a mercenary is likely the best way to go about it. If I try and use the Force to manipulate her into telling me what I want to know, I run the very real risk of her eventually realising what I did. From personal experience, I can manipulate thugs just fine in the short-term, but not in the long-term. I can't afford to make an enemy of Aria as I won't be able to pursue the Sith without her help." Rassen let his eyes wander about the room briefly before fixing his gaze back onto her. Shaela couldn't help but shiver slightly at the intensity there even before he asked her one final question.

"Are you absolutely sure that you want to go with me?"

Shaela swallowed heavily. They were really doing this then. As a near spur of the moment decision, she and Rassen were going to visit the Pirate Queen herself. She held out her hand as Rassen got up from the sofa, the Jedi tilting his head in confusion at her outstretched limb.

"My father told me before I left the Fleet that the most important thing about the Pilgrimage is making the galaxy a better place. Helping you stop this Sith, even in a small way like this will let me accomplish that." Shaela kept her hand out as the Jedi Knight nodded slowly, seemingly warming more to the idea. "I'm scared Rassen, but I want to do this. Partners?"

The human took her hand in that gentle, yet firm grip of his before shaking it, the warmth of his larger land just barely managing to reach hers despite the layers of material separating them. She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied.

"Partners then."

* * *

Aria's lair was not what Rassen had expected.

Shaela had led him from her apartment to some kind of turbolift that was situated about twenty minutes away from where she lived. Blessedly the few inhabitants that they had encountered had either ignored the two of them entirely, or been content to grumble a few curses and shoot a few suspicious glances at them. After taking the turbolift up several levels, the two of them had then walked for another ten minutes before stopping before what Shaela claimed was Aria's main haunt. He had expected a fortified base of some kind, with both automated defences and paid guards swarming around the entrances at the very least. A place which was truly impregnable unless one had the ability to call in an orbital bombardment or a small army. Either that or somewhere so non-descript that only Aria's chosen would normally be able to find it.

Instead he saw what appeared to be a nightclub of some kind, with a huge view screen above the entrance showing footage of scantily-clad women; particularly the species he had learned were called asari, dancing erotically. The footage had a light-purple tint to it and cut quickly between different dancers, as if trying to show off the variety on offer. The name of the establishment was in neon red lettering, though the surface of each later was covered in a thick layer of dirt, meaning that it came out looking much less vibrant than it presumably once had. Nonetheless, the letters were still fully legible, the word 'Afterlife' being on proud display. There were a large number of people gathered near the entrance, all of whom appeared eager and frustrated to get in. Rassen could see humans, turians, asari and krogan just at a glance. Clearly the appeal of the place was universal regardless of which species you were from.

An elcor (he believed they were called) bouncer seemed to be the only obstacle preventing the agitated patrons from simply rushing the entrance and Rassen had to admit that the individual was intimidating. Standing on all fours, the grey skinned alien loomed over each hopeful patron, even the krogan ones. The Jedi glanced around and subtly reached out with the Force. Everyone waiting was furious about having to wait to get in, a sure-fire sign that they had been there for a long period of time.

As if hearing his thoughts, Shaela spoke up from his left suddenly. "It looks like we're going to be here for a while," the quarian began, studiously observing a passing human who gave the two of them an undisguised sneer, "unless we can somehow get special permission to go in."

Rassen sighed. "That would take too long, the Sith could do irreparable harm to someone at any second. Someone is likely to recognise us any moment anyway after the market fight, even on this level. We don't have time to wait in this queue." He then marched forward, past the patrons that grumbled angrily at his approach, until he stood in front of the elcor.

The alien was even more intimidating up close, the top of Rassen's head not even reaching the being's shoulder, but the Jedi calmly waited in front of the alien for it to address him.

The elcor seemed annoyed by his line-jumping. At least that is what he assumed. It fixed its eyes on the man before it and addressed him in a perfectly blank voice.

"Angrily, despite the view that you may hold of your own importance human, you must wait in line like everybody else."

Rassen breathed out slowly and reached out to the Force, projecting an aura of confidence as he did so. "You don't think that having my friend or me wait is really necessary. I am in a bit of a rush after all."

The elcor blinked a few times before replying. "Monotonously, I do not think that queuing is necessary for you, you are in a bit of a rush." As if waiting for the elcor's response, the large metal door behind it slid open, deafening club music wafting out instantly. Rassen turned to the quarian next to him. He had grown increasingly used to interpreting her emotions by observing her body language, owing to her mask obscuring everything but her eyes and the tip of her nose. Even so, he could tell that she was amazed without having to observe her body movements, her eyes were so wide behind her light-blue visor.

For all of his training, Rassen couldn't resist being just a little smug. "I did tell you that I could do that."

After passing through a short, albeit wide corridor with footage of dancing flames on the walls which contained a few patrons, Rassen passed through a final door to enter into Afterlife proper. Almost instantly the Jedi reared back slightly in surprise at the sounds and sights in front of him.

* * *

The music, while audible when the elcor had opened the door to the entrance corridor for the two of them, seemed to have amplified in volume a hundred-fold. The pounding techno beat was so loud in fact that Rassen could only barely make out Shaela's exclamation of surprise as the quarian came to stand next to him. Truth be told he was just as surprised as her, though he hid it better. Upon noticing that Afterlife appeared to be a nightclub, a part of him had assumed that it was merely window-dressing, that perhaps the patrons outside were really gangsters themselves and that Aria used the club veneer to lull those seeking an audience into a false sense of security. After all, what kind of vicious crime boss would hold court in a nightclub, rather than somewhere more secure like a disused military base? Yet it seemed that the view screen outside and the music for that matter had not been lying. Afterlife was certainly first and foremost a nightclub.

This was evident from how the sights matched the music completely. Instead of the dust that seemed to be perpetually drifting from the ceilings of the level of the station that Shaela lived on, a cloying smoke filled the dimly-lit air. It was probably the result of some kind of drug Rassen reasoned, coupled with machines designed to produce smoke in an attempt to add some kind of mystery to the place. The two of them had found themselves in a large circular area packed to the brim with people dancing and drinking. In addition, there were several erotic dancers on display, plying their trade to the whistles and hoots of those around them, with drinks being served by bartenders at the several bars in the room, the images of twisting flames from the hallway projected behind them. Despite the obvious signs of criminal activity; drugs being taken at tables, several bouncers stationed around the room, and the sneaking suspicion Rassen had that dancing was not the only role of the women parading themselves around in their skimpy outfits, most people in the room in while he and Shaela had found themselves seemed like they were only there to have a good time.

Rassen was not one of them however. The Jedi started forward, going deeper into Afterlife as Shaela did likewise, the quarian seeming just as surprised as he was at the sights around her. Rassen leaned over to her, "Do you have any idea where Aria could be? You've been on this station for far longer than me after all."

The quarian crossed her arms in the manner that he had to admit he was quickly finding endearing. "No Rassen. I've never been here before."

The Jedi couldn't resist prodding her just slightly. He could just make out a trace of fear in Shaela's voice. Playful banter was normally a good way of alleviating the tension before a difficult encounter anyway; why not indulge himself for once? "Yet somehow," he said, rather enjoying himself, "you knew how to get here."

"T-that isn't… I don't… everyone knows where Afterlife is bosh'tet! Just because I live on this station doesn't mean that I've ever come here before." Shaela shook her head at him as she stepped back, arms now uncrossed and held stiffly at her sides, clearly irritated by his teasing. "You've told me that Jedi are highly respected back in your galaxy. Shouldn't you be the one who's embarrassed to be here?"

Rassen was now fully grinning behind his mask as the two of them made their way past an asari dancer, who tried fruitlessly to grab his attention. "There isn't a Jedi Master here, so I'm not going to get in trouble. Besides, Jedi often end up in unpleasant places like this one when trying to help make the galaxy a better place." Seeing that his friend was about to retort, Rassen quickly beat her to it. "Do you think that Aria could be up there?" he asked, pointing to what appeared to be a VIP section of some kind, given that it was positioned higher than were they currently were and had guards keeping an eye on the two stairways leading to it.

Shaela crossed her arms again before looking where he was pointing. "Quite possibly, if she does consider herself to be a queen. Where better to keep an eye over her subjects?" She huffed before looking back at him. "For the record, we're going to talk about you teasing me later, bosh'tet. For now let's just concentrate on talking with Aria."

Rassen let his mirth slip away, becoming serious once more. If Aria was up those steps, then presenting a strong front could be vital. "Very well Shaela. Crime boss first then, we can continue this conversation at some point in the future." The Jedi pretended to ignore the guards as he made to walk up one of the two staircases, only to be stopped by one of them pointing an assault rifle at his chest. Rassen calmly held two hands up as the guard made no further moves against him, the latter tilting his head as if hearing orders from an unknown speaker. The turian then nodded before stepping back and indicating the staircase behind him.

"No sure whether to envy you or wish you luck human, but Aria just gave the okay to let you go up. Watch yourself, she's not one to suffer fools," The man then gave Rassen a once-over, paying particular attention to the design of his armour and the rifle on his back, "particularly ones who think that fancy toys make them important."

Rassen nodded to the guard before he and Shaela began to ascend the staircase, locking eyes as they did so. They had found Aria then and he was perhaps one step closer to finding the Sith who had put him in this strange galaxy. As Rassen saw the fear in Shaela's eyes beginning to return as the gravity of their situation set in, the Jedi Knight couldn't help wandering if it had truly been a good idea to being her into this situation, even though it had ultimately been her choice to be here.

As the two of them reached the top of the stairs and turned around a corner, they found a batarian guard waiting for them. Wordlessly, the man activated his omni-tool, an orange glow enveloping his forearm before a blue projection of both of them appeared above it. Like the turian downstairs, the batarian then stepped aside, pointing up another, shorter set of stairs that led to a small area furnished with black and white sofas.

On the furthest lay an asari, reclining with the grace of a feline on the soft looking leather as she glanced over at the two them, a predatory smile on her features.

Rassen calmly squared his shoulders, burying any apprehension before walking up the stairs to meet her. If he wanted more answers then it was now or never.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Chapter 8 has arrived and this story has somehow made it past 40k words! As much as I'd love to claim all of the credit, it really is the knowledge that some people want to see more that keeps me going. I know everyone writing on this site says that, but it really is true!**

 **acherus01: Nope. Rassen is a character created by me. Sorry if there was any confusion there** **.**

 **Chapter 8: Aria T'loak**

As Rassen drew nearer to her, the reclining asari casually sat up, before gesturing with a hand to a space on the sofa a couple of feet from her. The Jedi Knight paused in surprise for a moment, before he shook off his unease and sat next to the crime lord. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Shaela standing awkwardly at the top of the stairs. Rassen nodded slightly to her to put the quarian at ease, and her eyes widened in understanding. Shaela quickly adjusted her posture to make it more calm and assured, leaning slightly against a nearby wall to complete the picture. His friend now looking a little more like a mercenary, Rassen turned his attention back to the asari, who had watched the two of them with the same predatory smile on her features.

"I take it you're Aria T'loak then?" He asked, keeping his voice calm, but trying to insert a note of gruffness. Most Jedi himself included had a cultured edge to their voice, a by-product of constant learning under some of the wisest beings of his galaxy. That was something which he doubted most mercenaries on Omega would possess. Hence it was something he would likely do well to try and disguise.

The asari turned her gaze to the circular area below her alcove, her eyes sweeping casually over the various patrons below them. Rassen frowned slightly. The asari's attitude suggested that she was confident, being very assured in her position of power. So confident that turning her back on the two of them was something she didn't think twice about. It was only when he looked closer however that Rassen noticed a slight tightness to the woman's posture. It was a sight that he recognised very well indeed.

It was much like how he reacted when he was in a conversation but suspected that a fight was coming.

The woman was dressed in black and white clothing that accentuated the stunning violet of her skin. Expanses of her flesh were visible through gaps in her ensemble, which seemed tasteful, yet seductive. Every move that she had made so far was perfectly calculated, being designed to consume as little energy as possible. All of this was wasted on Rassen however, he was far more concerned with observing her for any sign of violent intent.

He was concentrating so much on observing the asari's body language that he almost missed her response. As it was, he found himself surprised by the harsh, yet pleasant sound of the woman's voice as she turned her attention back to him.

"I am," Aria spoke smoothly, "but I am far more interested in discussing you rather than myself." Her gaze once again drifted away, this time to her guards and understanding dawned on Rassen. First him and Shaela, then the rest of Afterlife, and now her own guards. Aria was constantly on the lookout for threats from any possible direction. That was how she held onto power; she trusted no one, not even those in her employ.

 _She would probably make an excellent Sith._

Rassen scowled slightly to himself and pushed that particular line of thought away. It was hardly a pleasant subject to dwell on and it wasn't her that he was curious about. He turned his focus back to Aria, who was once again watching him, though the smile had given way to a more curious expression. The predatory edge was still very much present however.

"I hope you don't mind, but I would rather speak of something else. My… former employer and I have shall we say fallen out. I want to find him. He's my height, likes to wear black and has a mask like my own, though his is in black, red and grey."

Aria laughed coldly. "Deals go south all the time on Omega, human. Frankly I'd be more surprised if you _didn't_ want to find your old employer." She smirked at him and Rassen stared defiantly back though his mask. Aria was likely testing him and he could not afford to show any weakness. "As I said however, I am far more interested in discussing you," the asari continued, "though this is the first time you've visited any level of Omega other than the one you were first spotted on, you've done more than enough to attract my attention."

"Such as?"

"The batarians you killed for one, not to mention the ones that you tricked. That was more subtle than butchering them like you did with the others but still it attracted my attention." Aria shifted her weight before continuing. "There was obviously that confrontation in the market, that was hardly low-profile. You also got into a fight with a vorcha, though you were able to diffuse that without carving him into little pieces surprisingly." Rassen noticed Shaela glance in his direction for a moment. He hadn't told her about the vorcha when he had explained his revelations about himself and the Sith. The Jedi pushed that thought away though, that conversation could wait for another time.

Aria rose to her feet and walked to the edge of her balcony before staring down at those who milled around below her again. "And finally," she began, "you managed to trick your way into Afterlife and tried to get up here without an invitation, armed and with relatively little subtlety." She turned back to face him and Rassen calmly crossed his arms as he waited for her to finish.

"Nothing happens on Omega without my knowledge. You have a gun that fires energy bolts instead of solid slugs and you can deflect rifle fire with an energy sword. You have done an _excellent_ job at attracting my attention." Aria leaned against her balcony, hands at her sides to support her. "And after causing so much trouble, you've come to see me. You said that you want information on your _previous employer_. The way it works around here is like this; I get what I want and perhaps you get what you want. So first we're going to discuss you."

Rassen glared at the crime lord across from him. Even back in his own galaxy he had understood that sometimes it wasn't quite so simple as light against dark. Sometimes you had to work with a lesser evil to defeat a greater one. Rassen had done that himself, on several occasions even.

That did not mean for one second that he liked it.

Supressing the urge to sigh as showing Aria any weakness would only worsen his position, the Jedi crossed his legs and leaned back slightly into the plush leather of the sofa to hide his disgust. He shrugged his shoulders and held his hands out in a gesture of openness to the asari. "Very well," he began, "where would you prefer we begin?"

Aria smirked arrogantly at him, not only did he know that she had the upper hand; she knew it as well. "We'll start with the simplest but most important question of all then. What is your name?"

"Matthew Vance."

"Liar."

Rassen blinked in surprise. How did Aria know that he was lying? The only person on Omega who knew his name, aside from maybe the Sith, was Shaela. He glanced over at the quarian, who was still doing an admirable job of acting calmly despite her fear and the fact that she was listening in on the conversation. Obviously she hadn't told Aria anything. He may of only known his friend for just under a week, but from the moment he had linked their minds to show her the Force he had known that he could trust her. She had a good heart but was also somewhat naïve, which helped explain why she had gotten into so many difficult situations since they had met.

"I suggest you don't lie to me again human. This conversation will end soon if you continue to fuck with me."

Rassen straightened a crease in the fabric of his cloak before returning to the conversation. "My name is Rassen, Rassen Voratt."

"Much better. You are what exactly, a mercenary? A special forces soldier?"

"Neither."

Rassen noticed Shaela jump slightly out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't blame her; he was throwing what little equating to a plan they had out of the window. If Aria really could tell when he lied though, and the dark glint in the violet-skinned woman's eyes made it perfectly clear that she could, continuing to lie would prove to be a very bad idea. He would tell her the truth then, but not the whole truth.

"You wouldn't know what I am Aria, no one in this galaxy does, bar two individuals." Rassen indicated to Shaela, "She is one and the other is that ex-employer I mentioned. I take it that you guessed I was lying about him being my old boss?"

Aria's full smile was back, though this time there was a hint of approval as well. "You learn quickly, even if you did stumble with Omega's only rule."

"A mistake I shall not make again, I assure you, _your majesty_."

Aria waved away the title. "Aria is fine. True power relies on influence, not pointless words."

 _Definitely more like a Sith than a Hutt. The latter adore their titles and having their underlings use them in their presence._

"The only other who knows what I am is the man I am after, the man I would like your help to find."

Aria frowned slightly and returned to where she had been sitting. "You want to hide what you are by killing this individual?"

Rassen smirked slightly behind his mask. She was intrigued, now to deliver the final blow.

"No. I want to know where he is because is a threat to any who cross his path and he is relentless in the pursuit of power. He will tear apart any he so wishes and may well come after you Aria. You make for a prime target for someone like him."

Aria squared her jaw. "You want me to believe that your enemy is also my enemy, that we have a common threat aimed against us."

"You have been most adept at finding my lies so far. Tell me, am I lying to you now?"

The asari shook her head. "No, but just because you believe something is true does not necessarily make it so."

"I quite agree. But the fact remains, if I believe it to be so then it is certainly worth you investigating, isn't it?"

Aria smirked at him. "Well played Voratt. With the climate being what it currently is in particular, now is a good time for me to be even more cautious than normal."

"Ah, I noticed you observing everything around you at the start of our conversation. I assumed however that you did that normally."

Aria seemed to debate internally for a moment before she responded. "Just over two weeks ago, the three major mercenary groups that kept the peace on Omega; the Blue Suns, the Eclipse and the Blood Pack were almost entirely wiped out. They often proved useful tools for dealing with problems that would occasionally arise, but without those major players the situation here has become… _unstable_."

Rassen tilted his head. "Why tell me this? I am asking for your help, yet you are telling me that you are in a weaker positon than normal."

"Normally I would have grown tired of a conversation with a stranger like you at this point and had them dealt with, but if what you say is true about us having a common enemy I may be able to help you, distasteful as it is."

"If it is any consolation Aria, I don't like asking for your help any more than you like giving it."

Aria glanced at him sharply. "Don't be stupid, it is of little consolation to me." She rose from her seat again and turned to gaze over the denizens of Afterlife once more. Rassen began to get the feeling that their conversation was coming to an end. After a moment she then turned back to him. "Circumstances being what they are Voratt, I'm going to give you an opportunity. Prove that you have no ill will towards me or Omega and I'll do what I can to find this man for you."

Rassen pushed down his rising indignation. "I would have thought that helping me deal with someone who is a threat to us both would be enough for you."

"Clearly you thought wrong then. You were obviously going to pretend to be a mercenary when you first came in here, yes?" Without waiting for a response, Aria continued. "Like I said earlier, help me and maybe I'll help you. I have a shipment coming in through docking bay 14A in a few minutes. Nothing too valuable, but losing it would prove to be a headache that I'd rather avoid. Go to the docking bay and meet with the man overseeing its safe transferal, Garses Nikks. He's ex-turian military so he knows his stuff. If he reports positively on how you conduct yourself then I'll give you everything I can find about your friend in the meantime." Without waiting for a reply, the asari swiftly activated her omni-tool and Rassen heard a chirp come from his own as the details were received.

Rassen swallowed bile as he rose to look down at the asari, who remained seated. The woman oozed smugness. He'd gotten what he'd wanted but at a cost that Shaela had warned him was possible. He nodded to Aria and gestured to Shaela to come forward. Aria, who had paid little attention to the quarian before then, raised a brow slightly as Shaela joined them, the quarian's knees buckling a little as she tried not to back down from the asari's gaze.

"One minor detail. Shaela here comes with me. She's my partner and there's no one else in this galaxy I'd rather have at my side."

"Done. You can bring her along provided she's not dead weight. I just hope the timidity is an act. You'll have to divide the payment amongst yourselves." Aria then turned away from the two of them and once more looked over her domain. "Come back when the transfer is complete, I'll be waiting."

Rassen nodded at the asari's back and he and Shaela headed for the stairs.

* * *

Shaela observed Rassen as the two of them left Afterlife and headed towards the docking bay. The Jedi was clearly upset, judging by how he had ended the conversation with Aria and how he was walking so quickly that she had to jog to keep up. The quarian swallowed slightly, was he angry at her? It had been her idea for him to pose as a mercenary and pretend to be his partner and Aria had seen right through the deception. They hadn't exchanged a word since they had left the Pirate Queen and they would soon be at the docking bay, since it was only a few minutes from Afterlife. The quarian took a deep breath to steady herself before she turned to her friend, who was still walking at the same rapid pace.

"I'm sorry Rassen."

The Jedi didn't stop walking, though he did slow slightly. Shaela couldn't help glancing away as she slowed her pace to match his. 'I'm sorry'. Was that really the best that she could come up with? Her friend had been forced to work for a crime boss, something he understandably hated the idea of and to cap it off, it was her plan for them to pose as mercenaries that had fallen through.

Rassen replied after a moment. "Don't worry Shaela, it wasn't your fault. Going to see Aria was my plan at the beginning and you did warn me that this was a possible outcome." The Jedi sighed before he continued. "The end result is worse than I hoped, but better than I feared. Aria will give us whatever she can find on _him_ and in return we have to oversee her shipment. Hopefully after that she and I can go our different ways."

Shaela frowned at him worriedly. "I'm a bit confused about that actually. Do you really want me to come with you, or did you agree just because I want to help you?"

"No, I don't want you here."

Shaela blinked at the bluntness of Rassen's response but was more surprised at his stuttered apology which followed.

"I didn't mean… well I did… oh for Force's sake." Rassen seemed to take a moment to collect himself before continuing. "This little side-trip is likely to be dangerous, despite what Aria said. We may have an agreement, but I don't trust her for an instant to be completely truthful. You resented my leaving you behind this morning without letting you know where I was first just in case and I understand that." The Jedi stopped walking and gently placed a hand on Shaela's shoulder to ensure he had her full attention. The quarian stiffened slightly in response. It felt… nice she thought. The human continued. "The reason why I don't want you to come is because it will be dangerous. You aren't used to this kind of thing Shaela, but you said earlier that we were partners and you wanted to come with me." Shaela trembled slightly as she locked eyes with him through their respective masks. Rassen had this way of just looking like he was staring straight into your soul, even when you couldn't actually see his eyes.

"If you truly want to help me with this then I will gladly welcome your assistance. You need to understand however that this is not a game. The Sith is immensely dangerous and already we have embroiled ourselves with the ruler of Omega. I'm worried that this might be your very last chance. Are you sure that you want to help me with this?"

Shaela nodded determinedly. "Yes Rassen. After everything I've seen on Omega and everything you've told me, I want to do this. I want to make the galaxy a better place."

"I have three conditions before we go any further."

Shaela eyed him warily. "Go on."

"When we find the Sith, I will face him alone. This is not negotiable. You aren't a Force user and he could kill you easily and with no remorse." Rassen waited for her to nod at him in acceptance before continuing. "After we have done this favour for Aria, we will visit whatever weapons dealers are on this level. I would like to teach you how to fight effectively. I don't know what obstacles lie between us and the Sith, but while you know how your pistol works, you need practise."

Shaela pushed down her excitement. He was going to teach her how to fight. Rassen had proven utterly deadly so far, but still had that kindness about him, and she couldn't wait to learn from him. Perhaps with his help she could learn to stop fearing violence the way that she always had. She almost missed the human discussing his final condition but nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard it.

"Finally, you will allow me to help you find yourself a suitable Pilgrimage gift for when this is over. As with the previous conditions, this is non-negotiable. You helped me when I first arrived Shaela and gave me what I needed most in an unfamiliar place; a friend. I therefore insist that you allow me to help you find what you need most." The Jedi then held out his hands to each side. "Do you agree?"

Shaela nodded firmly at him before quickly embracing the tall human and then just as quickly started off in the direction they had been headed. "We had better started then," she called back, "we have a lot to do!"

She couldn't help blushing at Rassen's response. "As much as I admire your enthusiasm Shaela, you have just walked past the turn we want to take."

* * *

Despite his gloomy predication, the unloading had gone off without a hitch. Nikks had proven surprisingly professional for a pirate, which likely explained why Aria kept him around. The purple face-marked turian had positioned him and Shaela near the other guards Aria had hired. The goods and credits had been exchanged between a volus and an asari, and then he and Shaela had been dismissed. The whole process had taken only ten minutes. There had been no surprise raid by one of Aria's presumably countless enemies, no disagreement over the payment given, or the goods received, and no fighting among the guards. All of this left Rassen wondering what the whole point of the affair had been. Plenty of curious looks had been aimed at him for his strange attire and at Shaela for being a quarian, but other than that, he suspected that they had been surplus to requirements. Truthfully it seemed that Aria had sent them both there for no reason.

As Afterlife came into view Rassen continued to ponder just why Aria had seen fit to send both him and Shaela to the docking bay. The latter had likewise noticed that their situation was strange but like him she could not figure out why. Just what had Aria's aim been?

* * *

"I see that the two of you made it back in one piece."

Rassen glared at Aria as the latter leaned back slightly into the plush leather of her sofa. This business had gone for long enough. He was not in the mood for further games. Forcing down his anger and quickly running through the Jedi code once in his head, Rassen took the same seat he had earlier when Aria gestured that he should do so.

 _It's almost over; just keep it together for a moment longer._

"We encountered no trouble," Rassen began, understanding suddenly dawning, "but then you never expected us to did you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You claimed that your position was weakened by the blow dealt to the mercenary groups. You pretended to be vulnerable to see if we'd try to take advantage of your weakness.

"You _do_ learn quickly. You proved that you aren't a threat to my concerns and I acquired a useful new acquaintance. Besides, as promised while you were gone, I used the opportunity while you were gone to see what I could find out about our mutual friend." The asari waved her omni-tool in his direction and Rassen let his attention turn to the incoming information.

"I did some digging while you were out, but it seems that your friend is much more elusive than you are. This is one of the only things I could find on such short notice. I take it that's him?"

Rassen opened the single image he had been sent and froze slightly. That was certainly the Sith. Black cloak, the same mask and armour, but that wasn't what worried him.

The real concern was that the man was looking straight in the direction of the person who had taken his picture.

That meant that he had wanted someone to take a picture of him. However, if what Aria had said was true, then he had managed to avoid drawing any attention to himself aside from this image.

Slowly it all began to make sense; the Sith visiting where he had first arrived, the fact that he hadn't launched some grandiose plan that might have been more in keeping with a Sith's typical aggression and finally the fact that he was looking at the person who had captured him via omni-tool.

The Sith had _wanted_ to be noticed, but only a little. Just enough so that Rassen knew he was there and could eventually find him. It seemed that the Sith likewise wanted to meet, but he also wanted to keep his presence secret. That likely meant one thing.

The Sith had also arrived alone and was slowly baiting him. The question remained though. Why was he doing it?

Rassen slowly looked up from the image to Aria's questioning glance. "That's him alright. Do you have any idea where he is now?"

Aria shrugged, "No, this image is several days old and was taken one level down, he could be anywhere on the station by now. It's impossible that he's left it in the meantime though; there haven't been any shuttles away from Omega in that period. Other than that though I don't know where he could be."

Rassen considered this information before replying. "Then I have no way of finding him until he reveals himself further or he slips up." He looked back down at the image before returning his glance to Aria. "I carried out my side of the bargain, now I ask that you continue to carry out yours. Keep trying to find him. He may make a mistake sometime in the near future and then I can deal with him." He paused remembering. "You mentioned that there was something else?"

Aria's predatory smile made an unwelcome return. "Five krogan were found dead on that level not long after that image was taken. They were hacked to pieces by some kind of weapon that instantly cauterised their wounds. No blood at all, very clean and precise. Not at all unlike your own little toy." As Rassen stiffened she continued her explanation. "I'm not stupid Voratt, I know he must be another like you. The difference being of course that you have proven to be somewhat flexible and did me the courtesy of a conversation, even if you did intend on barging in uninvited. Your friend hasn't. If he is going to cause trouble on my station then…"

"You'll keep me updated should he reappear?"

"Of course."

"Very well then." Rassen rose to his feet and Shaela moved to join him. "I take it we'll speak soon Aria?"

"Very soon I should imagine. In the meantime, get your little girlfriend a drink before you leave. The poor quarian looks like she's about to keel over."

Rassen ignored the asari as he headed for the stairs back into the rest of Afterlife, Shaela spluttering behind him as she followed suit.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It's only been a few days since the last update and another chapter is ready! I'm on a bit of a role at the moment, having been much happier with the last chapter than the two that preceded it. I also finished re-watching Series 3 of modern Doctor Who a few days ago and so am very much in a Sci-fi mood, which also helped.**

 **I had to dig a little bit into the old Star Wars Expanded Universe (Legends now of course) to find out a few facts that I wanted to include in this chapter. There is also a little bit of world building on my part. I've tried to make every effort to respect the lore of both Mass Effect and Star Wars, but if anyone feels that I have made a mistake somewhere, you are welcome to point it out.**

 **Anyway:**

 **Inaba always: Thank you so much! I have no intention of stopping just yet!**

 **seabo76: Thanks for showing your support! Please feel free to let me know what I'm doing well and what could be better. The former encourages me to keep going and the latter encourages me to improve.**

 **Chapter 9: Preparation**

"Concentrate Shaela, remember what we discussed."

The quarian nodded slightly in response to Rassen's comment, slightly loosening her grip on the M-8 Avenger that she was currently holding. The two weeks since they had met with Aria had honestly been far more enjoyable than she would have at first assumed. Using the credits that had been given to the two of them by the Pirate Queen, they had rented a second apartment. It was larger than the previous one and was also situated on the same level of Omega as Afterlife and so, while there was always some danger when walking the streets, it was far safer than several levels down, where the original apartment lay. Aria's influence was stronger here, but neither of them objected to the stability that entailed. It was also only ten minutes at a quick pace from a nearby shooting range.

The range itself was run by a battered old krogan called Karg who said little but grunted a whole lot more. As long as she and Rassen paid him the demanded fee for the use of the facility, the krogan left the two of them to do whatever they wanted, provided they didn't damage anything. So far the arrangement had gone very well, despite her initial fear at being a room away from a krogan for hours at a time. Over the last fortnight they had spent several hours each morning at Karg's range, with mixed results.

Shaela gently adjusted her grip on the rifle again, her eyes never wavering from the holographic profile of the humanoid target fifty metres away. Rifles had quickly proven to be the bane of her existence. While she had shown slow but steady improvement with her pistol and was certainly happy with that, she had found it difficult to compensate for the rifle's far greater kick. Rassen's voice drifted over to her again from where he was observing her efforts.

"That's it Shaela. Gently squeeze the trigger when you are ready. Try to use short controlled bursts rather than a single long one."

She nodded again and gently pressed down on the trigger, the rifle juddering in her arms as she fired at the target. Shaela concentrated on shooting only a few rounds at a time as Rassen had suggested, but didn't stop until the entire thermal clip was exhausted. She then turned to the Jedi observing her and looked at him hopefully.

Rassen at least had the good grace to adopt a sympathetic tone of voice. "Just over thirty per-cent on target." He reported. "One way to look at it is that you are consistent."

Shaela couldn't help growling quietly in frustration. Thirty per-cent had been her exact score every time she had tried her hand at the rifle, bar some very slight variation each way. Whatever she tried and whatever Rassen tried for that matter, they were never able to figure out what it was exactly that caused her to struggle so much when it came to the Avenger. As they always saved that particular weapon for last when they practised shooting, she was always in a bad mood at the end of the session, regardless of how well she had done with her pistol.

Rassen turned away from her and moved to the bag he always brought with him as she roughly stowed her rifle onto the magnetic clamp on the back of her environment suit along with her pistol. Shaela didn't blame him for her lack of progress. Rassen had been extremely patient with her and in all honesty she was really angry at herself. She had sort of assumed that by learning from Rassen she would quickly become proficient with every kind of weapon, as the Jedi had proven to be when he had demonstrated his skill with his lightsaber and rifle over those tumultuous first few days together. When he had first fired his own Avenger (they had bought two) with unerring accuracy of course, she had asked him how he had managed to do so despite having never fired a mass-accelerator weapon before. Rassen had responded that the weapons of her galaxy did not work so differently in practise to the ones of his own. He therefore only had to make small adjustments to his posture to compensate for recoil and a few other minor factors.

As Rassen returned to her carrying their omni-tools (he always insisted that she remove hers so that she wasn't tempted to interfere with the targets), in spite of her frustration, Shaela couldn't help but smile slightly. The human had quickly figured out that the best way to deal with his friend's frustration with shooting that ancestor's-damned assault rifle was to follow it up immediately with her favourite activity of the two they undertook daily; studying the different races of the galaxy and how to treat them in the case of either injury or illness. Rassen had come up with the idea a few days after he had started helping her with her shooting, reasoning that you never knew when someone might need your help.

This part of the day normally lasted until early evening and the two of them would browse the extranet and look up everything relevant that they could about a particular species. Life-span, and the kinds of disease that could affect them were just two of the main topics that they would research and discuss together. Today they were looking at the asari, who of all of the species that she had encountered members of on Omega, Shaela felt she understood the least.

It had never made sense to her why the asari were the most advanced race in Citadel Space, with their matriarchs being considered by many to be the wisest beings in the galaxy, when much of what could be gleaned at a first glance was opposed to such an idea. Maiden asari were notorious for entering into unpleasant occupations such as joining mercenary groups, becoming exotic dancers, or even finding employment in brothels. Yet their people could live for a thousand years, all were natural biotics, and they were capable of having children with any other individual, regardless of species or gender. Naturally Shaela was curious to learn more about them beyond what little they had been taught on the Fleet. That of course being little more than how like with every other race, the asari often looked down on quarians.

Rassen, despite how he went to great efforts to learn everything he could about his new galaxy, knew even less than she did about the asari. He seemed increasingly fascinated by the galaxy's leading race as the minutes ticked by, often remarking on a particular fact that caught his interest.

"It's remarkable just how long an asari can live for." Her friend noted. "A thousand year life-span is not unheard of in my galaxy, but very few races have it. It is interesting that a species with that kind of longevity exists in this galaxy as well."

Shaela nodded in agreement. "The krogan can also live for longer than a thousand years. Most other races live for far shorter periods however. Salarians are lucky to make it to forty, while quarians and humans can live to be one-hundred and fifty."

"I'm sorry?"

Shaela looked up at the surprise in Rassen's voice. "I said that the krogan-"

"Not that part. Please repeat the bit about quarians and humans."

"One-hundred and fifty years."

For one of the first times since she had met him, Shaela saw Rassen genuinely surprised rather than simply curious. The Jedi quickly typed a series of commands into his omni-tool before staring at the screen in surprise and then looking back at her. Shaela began wandering about what exactly had her friend so confused. Did humans not live as long where he was from?

Rassen managed to shake himself out of his disbelief after a moment. "Sorry. It's just difficult to get my head around the difference in life-span. The average human will live to be one-hundred to one-hundred and twenty years old in my galaxy. Force users such as me often live a bit longer than that, but living past eighty means that you are considered 'old' by most people." He glanced back at his omni-tool before returning his gaze to Shaela. "Non-Force using humans here can live anywhere between thirty and fifty years more than I am used to. According to my calculations, the standard year in both galaxies differs only by a handful of your days. Why do you think humans here might live longer?"

Shaela puzzled over Rassen's question for a moment. "I don't know. Differences in medicine, diet, diseases and environment appear the most likely reasons, don't they?"

Rassen nodded back. "Certainly, but I don't know if there are that many differences between the lives of humans in each galaxy. Disease seems to be rare among both groups, medicine is widely available, starvation and obesity are uncommon, though present, and most individuals live in safe and secure environments. Curious." The Jedi seemed to ponder the issue for a moment before changing the subject slightly. "Humans and quarians have the same life-span though, that's surprising."

Shaela hummed as she thought it over. "I've never considered that before." She admitted. "But you're right. Both of our species live for the same amount of time, provided that quarians avoid extensive exposure to bacteria or other pathogens over the course of their lives. It's all the more surprising when you realise that we have a completely different biological structure. Humans are levo-acid based, while quarians are dextro-based."

"As interesting as this topic is, I seem to have carried us off on a bit of a tangent. We were on asari life-span correct?"

"That's right; we were just talking about how a thousand years is an impressive amount of time to live for." The two of them continued to debate that subject for a little longer before moving on to the diseases most likely to cause death among the all-female race.

* * *

Rassen gently pried a small scalpel from the tool-set next to him and turned to the assault rifle sitting on the workbench. The M-8 Avenger was notoriously reliable and easy to modify according to the storeowner who had sold it to him, and so far the elderly salarian appeared to have been correct. During the two weeks since he had bought the weapon, Rassen had yet to find a single mechanical failure, even though he had used it daily for target practise.

After they had finished their research and discussion about the asari, he and Shaela had returned to the new apartment, him going to the small workbench one of rooms contained, while Shaela had gone to her bedroom to continue to read up on the physiology of various races. The quarian hadn't been lying about wanting to be a doctor. Ever since they had taken to studying the various races of the Milky Way, his friend often spent her evenings going over what they had discovered, attempting to absorb as much information as possible.

As for him, he was currently seeing whether he could put some old components that he had bought cheaply along with their rifles to good use.

When inspecting his Avenger during target practise that morning and drawing on what he had learned about mass effect technology so far, Rassen had suddenly had a moment of inspiration. If he could succeed in increasing the weapon's rate of fire without compromising its accuracy or heat-sink capacity too much, then the weapon would likely prove ideal for his eventual confrontation with the Sith aboard Omega.

Rassen had been lucky during the fight in the market. He had underestimated the rate of fire of the mass-accelerator weapons of this galaxy and also the difficulty that came with blocking the individual shots, owing to the tiny size and immense velocity of the projectiles. While solid slug weapons weren't unheard of back in his own galaxy, the vast majority of firearms were blasters, hence why he had been taken aback by his difficulty in blocking fire from them. Upon messaging Aria about the krogan the Sith had killed soon after having his brainwave, he had also learned that the aliens had been armed with shotguns, rather than rifles.

His unfamiliarity with the weapons of this galaxy could have cost him dearly and if he was right that the Sith had come to this place alone then the latter would only have his own knowledge to draw on. Given that Aria with her vast resources had barely found anything on his opponent, Rassen had also concluded that the Sith could not have been in this galaxy for much longer than him. Combined with his desire to keep a low profile aside from dropping hints, the Sith was therefore likely equally inexperienced with how the weapons here worked as he was, perhaps even more so.

The idea of using what was for all intents and purposes the blaster of this galaxy against a lightsaber wielding opponent certainly had a poetic ring to it, given how many Republic soldiers the monster had probably killed back in Rassen's own galaxy.

Rassen went to remove the side panel of the Avenger before pausing, a pang of sadness filling him at the thought. _His galaxy_. While he hadn't had another near total break-down since his first, he would be lying if he said that he didn't miss his own galaxy. Surprisingly it was the small things, the things he never would have guessed that he could miss that stood out to him the most. The ornate yet cold halls of the Jedi temple on Tython, where he had trained since first being discovered by the Jedi, the distant howls of the Flesh Raiders that had scared him as a child, but become a part of the planet's ambient noise as he grew older, and the voices of his fellow Jedi as they learned and trained together, the stern voices of the Masters carrying wisdom from teacher to student.

There were certainly things he didn't miss about home however. The suspicious glances he had received when he and Master Dorass had walked the halls of the temple together from some of the more traditional Masters being the primary one. Those looks had always confused him when he was younger, but seeing his Master die, hearing her final words had caused him to finally understand in that crucial moment.

He had loved her; loved her like he would have his own mother if he had been old enough to know her. He hadn't realised it at all in all of those years he had been her Padawan because he had never had any other relationship to compare it against. After all, how would someone who never had a relationship with their own mother know that they had really had another for all of those years?

Master Dorass had never called him son until that particular day, but looking back there were little signs that she had cared more for him than had been appropriate for a Jedi. When he had grown scared of the distant bellows of the Flesh Raiders as a child, she had often comforted him when many other Masters would likely have told their student to simply ignore the creatures. When she had joked about the situation when times were dire, there had often been a note of worry in her voice as opposed to the reserved stoicism that was expected from a Jedi Master. She had been subtle certainly, Master Dorass had never shown him serious affection in front of those who had probably been suspicious of the two of them, and Rassen had never thought that she deeply cared for him during that period; though looking back it seemed painfully obvious that she had.

After that terrible day on that Force-cursed jungle world he couldn't even remember the name of, and after he had either escaped or been released by the Sith who had meddled with his mind, Rassen had been unable to resist tracking down all the information he could on his old Master. Much of it had been information he had known already; she was born on the Twi'lek home world of Ryloth and had been separated from her parents at a young age, like most Jedi. She hadn't had a spotless record growing up under the teachings of the Order, but then few did. Children and teenagers often struggled with certain tenets of the Jedi code, in particular the line concerning emotion. The part of the Order's entry on her that had caught his interest was about where exactly she had been born on Ryloth. Apparently Master Dorass had been born into Balorian clan, though she had probably remembered little about it owing to her young age when she had left the world.

Further investigation had naturally followed. It had turned out that the Balorian clan; much like most all of the Twi'lek clans on Ryloth possessed its own city, which in turn had its own unique traditions and rites. One in particular had stuck out to Rassen, something that had seemed fitting to observe given the circumstances.

When a family member died, their immediate relatives would don a mask during the period of mourning to show their neighbours that they were honouring the spirit of their fallen loved one. When the period of mourning was finished, the family members would then remove their masks, their honouring of their lost loved one being complete. The period of mourning was determined by the family, who would wear their masks for either a certain length of time, or until a certain condition was met. If the deceased had stolen at some point in life for example, then the condition was that the family should compensate the victim, either by finding and returning what had been stolen or by giving a cash sum which equalled the value of what had been taken. There were similar conditions for virtually any scenario where a family member had died.

Including if they had been murdered.

In that case the family members' period of mourning either lasted for months, or was finished once they had seen the murderer brought to justice, though the means for doing the latter were up to them. Once either had been completed they were then permitted to remove their masks for good and so continue on with their lives.

Rassen had done this research almost immediately upon waking on board the Republic medical ship after his loss of memory, being bedridden but far too emotional to do nothing but rest. As soon as he had learned about the traditions of the clan though, he had requested access to the ship's armoury, even medical vessels having one owing to the constant Sith threat. Upon being deemed well enough to make his way there, he had inspected the rows of spare armour and weapons for an undeterminable period of time until he had found it.

The mask had simply been sitting in a pile of similar combat gear and it had just seemed… right, for lack of a better word. It was in white, like his armour, the eye-slit visor was blue, though lighter than his lightsaber, and it was a mask rather than a helmet. Owing to their lekku, or "head-tails", the people of the Balorian clan didn't wear full helmets during the mourning period. Instead they covered their faces and the sides of their heads, the back being uncovered by the garment. Rassen preferred to keep the hood of his cloak up as a result though. It prevented an enemy from knowing that the back of his head was exposed. A small modification he allowed himself considering that he often found himself in violent situations.

He finally removed the side panel of the Avenger and placed it on the other side of the workbench. Replacing the scalpel with a tiny pair of pliers, Rassen then gently removed the firing mechanism from the exposed innards of the weapon. Holding the delicate in appearance but still quite robust machinery up to the light for a moment, he then scanned it with his omni-tool.

 _As I expected, the rifle is still set to its default factory settings despite being second-hand. If I widen the casing at this point though, that will allow for a more open space within the structure. Then when I set the firing mechanism to shoot faster than it was designed to, I have the room to install a small internal heat-sink, the kind that were used before the move to removable ones that occurred relatively recently. A hybrid between the old and new methods for heat diffusion seems like the most efficient design that I have the ability to implement._

He had placed an order for a variety of other weapons beyond the Avenger rifles that he and Shaela had bought, though they would take time for the salarian storekeeper to acquire. Hence, Rassen had spent the two weeks since making the order keeping in contact with Aria and ensuring that Shaela became more confident with firearms. The Pirate Queen hadn't picked up any more information on the Sith in that time, but as much as he wanted to return home, Rassen was glad that there had been such a delay. Firstly because if the Sith was keeping his head down then he likely hadn't done too much damage since killing the krogan. Secondly because it gave Rassen the time needed for his other equipment to arrive. He wasn't going to win the inevitable fight with just his lightsaber and the Avenger.

He had just finished implementing his upgrades, a quick omni-tool scan confirming that all of the parts were set properly, before he heard a knock on the door that separated the small workshop from the adjoining corridor. Rassen waved his hand without looking and the door swung open to reveal Shaela, who stood there in surprise, one hand still raised.

After replacing the panel that he had removed, Rassen turned in his seat to face the quarian, a smile behind his mask as he did so. As much as he found the inner workings of this galaxy's technology fascinating, he needed a break. Shaela often showed a sixth sense for knowing when to take his mind off of something.

"I'm not interrupting you, am I?" The quarian asked, indicating the direction she had come from. "If you prefer then I could come back later."

"Not at all Shaela, I had just finished actually, come and join me." Rassen indicated the second seat in the room, which sat in a corner, and Shaela picked it up before carefully settling herself next to him. The quarian examined the modified Avenger, with its slightly bulkier casing towards the back end with interest.

"What have you been working on?"

"I've been trying to increase the rate of fire while trying to avoid decreasing the capacity of the removable heat-sink and accuracy of the rifle as a result. To that end I've installed a small permanent one like those that used to be common practise, in the section of the casing that I have enlarged. I'll need to test it to see if it works properly and if it has then I'd like to install a scope instead of having to rely on the iron sights. Hopefully then I'll have a faster shooting Avenger without sacrificing the capacity or accuracy of it."

Shaela blinked in surprise. "Wow, I didn't realise that Jedi were such good engineers."

Rassen laughed lightly. "I'm not compared with some members of the Order. Fortunately though what I'm doing requires only minor changes. I don't really need to do anything much more difficult than building a lightsaber."

"You built your lightsaber?" Shaela's interest had clearly been piqued. While Rassen had discovered that the quarian's main love definitely lay in the field of medicine and healthcare more than anything else, she also had a considerable soft spot for anything from his galaxy.

Rassen debated internally for a moment. "Most Jedi wouldn't offer to let you hold this, but I know you well enough to feel comfortable at this point, Shaela." He removed his lightsaber from beneath his cloak and held it out to the quarian, who took it reverently. "One of the last trials I had to undertake before becoming a Jedi Knight was to forge my own lightsaber. The materials were all provided to me, but I had to rely on myself and the Force to build it. It took me a few attempts, but then for most Jedi it does." He smiled sadly to himself at the memory. Master Dorass had been one of the few to perfectly construct her lightsaber on the first try and had comforted him upon his first few attempts being met with failure. Another example of how they had been closer than he realised at the time, in all likelihood.

"How old were you?"

"It was only half a year ago, so I was twenty at the time." He paused for a moment in embarrassment. "The right to build it, and the rank of Jedi Knight for that matter were not entirely conferred on me due to merit, however."

Shaela looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean exactly?"

"There aren't as many Jedi as there once were, owing to the war. Therefore as opposed to waiting for a few years after the Padawan has reached a certain level of proficiency in order to ensure that they are stable, before raising them to Jedi Knight, the Council has taken to ignoring that period entirely."

"The war?"

"The conflict between the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order on one side, and the Sith Empire on the other. You remember that I mentioned the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith? Well, two years ago the two sides began to move towards a new conflict after eleven years of uneasy peace following the end of the first war caused by the return of the Sith. Losses have been horrific on both sides. There are more Sith than Jedi at this point though, hence the accelerated progression."

Shaela nodded before turning over the lightsaber curiously in her hands. "Do you mind if I…" She trailed off awkwardly.

Rassen couldn't help smiling fondly at his friend, not that she could see it. "Only if you're careful." He pointed to the centre of the room. "I would rather you didn't take my head off, so please stand over there."

Shaela laughed before rising and moving to the centre of the room. "So is it this button here?" She asked, indicating the switch built into the side of the polished steel and black coloured housing.

"That's the one. It makes a bit of a noise though, so be prepared."

* * *

The lightsaber was even more beautiful than Shaela had been expecting.

During the two occasions that she had seen Rassen use it, the quarian had been far more concerned with the people attacking them. Hence, while she had noticed the weapon and been amazed by its appearance, she had never been able to properly observe it for any length of time. Suffice to say that with no distractions being present, the strange weapon left her breathless.

The azure blade of energy that had shot forth from the weapon when she had pressed the activation switch hummed pleasantly in her ears as she slowly moved it from side to side, the mere act of doing so illuminating the nearest wall in a light blue glow when it drew near. Upon closer inspection, Shaela noticed that the blade was so light in colour in the centre as to be almost white, the colour itself grower bluer the further from the centre of the blade you looked until it was a darker but no less stunning shade at the edges. As Rassen nodded slowly in her direction, the quarian slowly swung the weapon in a diagonal arc from the shoulder of an imaginary target through to the other side of their waist. The blade's hum grew louder in intensity from the greater amount of movement, though it still remained pleasant to listen to.

Shaela looked to Rassen, who calmly sat observing her as she carefully handled the weapon. There was something almost imperceptible to it, a certain grace that defied explanation. The lightsaber just felt good, for a lack of a better word, like the universe was better for its existence. Shaela gently adjusted her grip on the weapon, marvelling at how the glow of the blade seemed to illuminate the steel-coloured parts of the hilt so that they shone like sunlight on a clear ocean in the dim light of the room.

After swinging the lightsaber carefully a few times more, Shaela gently de-pressed the switch and blinked in surprise as the blade swiftly vanished into the hilt with a similar snap-hiss as when it had first emerged. She then held out the lightsaber to its owner, Rassen carefully taking it off her before stowing it back onto his belt.

Realising that very few probably ever got to hold a lightsaber and that she was one of the first in the Milky Way to so, Shaela only managed to find her wits after a minute of awed silence.

"Thank you. Just… thank you Rassen."

"My pleasure Shaela. I'm glad you finally got a chance to actually examine it, in all honesty. You must have been curious for a while now."

Shaela couldn't help chuckling slightly. "That's certainly true. But while I understand how you can use it with one hand now, it being so light, I admit that I'm still not sure how you managed to block rifle fire with it."

"A combination of Jedi reflexes, many years of training, months of battlefield experience, and the fact that I was in good health I suspect."

Despite being sure that she knew the answer, Shaela couldn't resist asking anyway. "Is it just Jedi and Sith that can carry one?"

Rassen nodded and Shaela felt herself deflate slightly. "For the most part yes, proper use of a lightsaber requires a degree of Force sensitivity in addition to training. The means of constructing them as well as the exact materials are also only known to the Jedi and the Sith. For all that they have done to ruin the galaxy, the latter at least have managed to keep the means of constructing lightsabers from becoming common knowledge. Even if it is only because they recognise the power of the lightsaber as a symbol and know that keeping it to themselves makes them all the more frightening to most sentients."

Shaela nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. After our initial… banishment by the geth, many quarians have never seen one. In a sense that makes them all the more terrifying."

"The darkest monsters dwell in our own hearts and minds, Shaela."

Shaela couldn't stop herself laughing at Rassen's response, despite the solemnity of his delivery of it. "Are you sure that you're only twenty-one years old? Before you said that I thought I was talking to an old man half of the time."

"I will choose to take that as a complement then. That you meant to say that I am very wise and mature for my age."

"I don't know about mature. I still haven't forgotten that you teased me in Afterlife."

"So did Aria, if you remember."

Shaela felt herself blush deeply, though mercifully her mask kept Rassen from noticing. Her friend hadn't waited long after they had left Afterlife before asking whether Aria had implied that that the two of them were together. She had barely been able to avoid tripping over her own words when she had told him that the Pirate Queen had been implying exactly that. Rassen had smoothly changed the topic after getting his answer and they hadn't spoken of it since. Now that he had raised the issue though, Shaela found that she couldn't get it out of her head. She had definitely been amazed by Rassen when he had first dropped into her life, but she had to admit, if only to herself that she found that she enjoyed their daily training sessions more and more each time. Even if that bosh'tet rifle still proved impossible for her to master. Was it possible that as time wore on she was becoming… attached to her human friend?

Quickly trying to think of a response since Rassen was tilting his head at her in that now familiar gesture of confusion, Shaela hurriedly blurted out the first thing that came into her mind.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Instantly she covered her mouth with her hands. Rassen had never specified why exactly he wore the same mask at all hours of the day. Once when she had woken before him, she had woken him up to find that he wore the object even while asleep. It was clearly important to him, but despite her curiosity, she had always felt that it was a taboo subject and so had never asked, until now.

 _As some humans say, out of the frying pan and into the fire._

Rassen sighed heavily in response to the question before glancing at her. "I'm not surprised that you would eventually ask that question. Truth be told, I'm surprised you didn't ask it before now." The human then indicated to the vacant seat next to him and Shaela gently slipped back into it, watching her friend carefully. He only got like this when he was thinking of something unpleasant from his past. That knowledge was enough for her not to want to push him.

"I'm sorry Rassen. It was rude of me to just blurt out that I wanted to know. That you wear it is your business, not mine."

The Jedi gave her what Shaela imagined was a rueful smile beneath the object in question. "No Shaela, you explained to me weeks ago why you have to wear your enviro-suit, mask included. I think it's time that I told you why I wear mine. It serves multiple purposes; it has an in-built combat HUD, it protects against most toxins that are inhaled, and it also serves to protect the face from blunt force attacks such as punches and kicks. More than that however, it is a sign of… mourning."

"Mourning?"

"It is a tradition among Master Dorass' people to don a mask during the period of mourning following the death of a family member. The rules of the Twi'leks of the Balorian clan of Ryloth state that if a family member is murdered then their kin must wear their masks until either a period of many months had passed, or until the murderer is brought to justice in some way, though the means used can vary."

Shaela felt her eyes widen in understanding. "So you're going to wear it until the Sith is either dead or captured and punished for his crimes?"

"Or until he is redeemed. It is possible for a Sith to reject the Dark Side, to reject the evil within themselves. Such an act is extraordinarily difficult however, and falls in large part to the individual."

Shaela couldn't help being shocked at her friend's reply. "Are you really willing to give him that chance?" She breathed, her voice so quiet that it was barely picked up by the speaker in front of her mouth. "After he killed her and hurt you so badly I mean."

Rassen sighed again. "In theory yes, in practise… well there is only one way to truly find out." He looked over to her and mask or not, Shaela could feel the conviction in his stare. "Everyone deserves a chance Shaela. I always try to offer them that. If they choose to ignore it then that is their decision. But everyone deserves that you give them that chance."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: And so this story reaches ten chapters and more than fifty-thousand words. As much as I had plenty of ideas for what I could include in this fanfic when I first considered actually writing it, truth be told I never would have guessed that I would have gotten this far when I began not far shy of two months ago. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to support this story, even if it was only by checking to see if there was a new update every once in a while. It really does mean the world.**

 **It may take slightly longer for the next chapter to come out than normal. When I started this story I had much less of an idea how to write in this particular fashion than I do now, being unaware as to where things such as full-stops should go when a character says something (inside or outside the quotation marks). Therefore I am going to tweak and hopefully fix some of the issues with my earlier chapters, which I feel are less polished than the last few I have written in this regard. I am not checking the entire story, so it shouldn't prove to be too long of a delay.**

 **I am sorry if anyone is frustrated by this, but I should be able to deal with some of these mistakes pretty quickly.**

 **As always, it is a pleasure to write for fellow fans such as yourselves.**

 **Chapter 10: The Link**

Silence hung heavy in the grime-choked air as the solitary figure ran between the areas left unlit by the dim lights that sporadically dotted the ceiling of the corridor. Fear filling every fibre of it's being, the individual glanced backwards repeatedly, only to be met with the sight of rust covered walls. Nothing else was there, nothing perceptible at least, but the figure pushed on desperately. It had to get away, had to leave it far behind.

It had tried. It had really tried to obey for the past few weeks, but the urge had proven too strong. Eventually the vorcha had craved the taste of fresh meat so much that his belly had felt like it was on fire and a skull-shattering pain had filled his head. He had then waited in a dark alcove, desperate for an unsuspecting victim to walk by. After a few hours a figure had appeared in the distance. His stomach had growled in delight at the sight in front of him, even though the prey was tall and wore strange armour, all in black save for its mask, which also featured red and grey.

As the strange figure drew closer though, hunger oh such hunger, had given way to fear. The prey didn't smell right. It smelled wrong, like a predator. Death hung around it, the putrid stench soon becoming overpowering. The figure had made straight for him, its foot-falls echoing throughout the area that the vorcha had been hiding in.

So he had run.

It had been hours now, but still he didn't feel safe. The other one, the one who had told him not to eat anyone else had smelled strange too, but he hadn't smelled wrong. The stench of this new one seemed to follow him relentlessly as the vorcha dove through the winding corridors of Omega to escape him. Not fast enough, he wasn't fast enough. The creature would find him eventually, somehow he just knew that.

His exhaustion finally overwhelmed him and he crawled spent to the end of the corridor before turning to look back the way he had come. He shrieked as he saw the figure for the first time in hours, standing silently at the other end only twenty metres away. The vorcha tried to summon any last reserves of energy, but starvation had taken its toll and he barely managed to flip himself back onto his front to keep crawling.

An invisible hand seemed to tighten around his leg and he screamed as he was pulled back towards the monster. His talons left gouges in the floor as he tried desperately to halt himself but he still continued to be pulled along. The hand then turned him the right way up and he stared in terror into the pitiless mask of the hunter.

The creature stood there for a moment observing him. It then reached forward smoothly and pressed a finger to his forehead before he could react. He screamed as white hot agony filled his skull, probing fingers seeming to reach deep into his brain rifling, searching for something. It then formed a claw with its other hand and the last thing the vorcha heard was a splintering noise.

* * *

The figure calmly examined the corpse in front of it before turning to the nearest wall, drawing its lightsaber as it did so. He had waited long enough; it was time for their second meeting.

* * *

It had now been a month since the arrangement with Aria, and still there had been no sign of him.

Rassen groaned quietly to himself and began absentmindedly tossing his lightsaber into the air, catching it, and then repeating the process over and over. Years of meditation and reflection had taught him the value of patience, but in truth his was running out. He was as ready as he was ever going to be. The upgrades he had implemented to the Avenger had proven even more effective than he had hoped; allowing the weapon to shoot thirty per-cent faster than it would have originally, with the decline in accuracy that accompanied it being sufficiently mitigated by the scope and his hybrid heat sink system proving effective at coping with the excess heat generated.

Furthermore, part of the other equipment that he had originally ordered was also ready. Rassen glanced across from where he was leaning against the living room wall in the direction of the workshop. His new omni-tool was in there, currently running through a series of tests. He was fairly confident that they would be completed successfully though, he had already had the device run through them plenty of times.

The new device was capable of running far more sophisticated military software than the one he and Shaela had retrieved from the batarians what felt like a lifetime ago. Specifically, it had a flamethrower function, which he knew from experience could prove very effective against Jedi and Sith under the right conditions. While unlikely to be fatal, upon being struck with a gout of fire, a Force user could be left blinded, along with becoming panicked if the attack kept up. Despite the near mythic status Jedi and Sith held among many of the citizens of both the Republic and the Empire, they were just as capable of making mistakes in the right situations. Being set on fire definitely qualified as one of those.

Unfortunately however, some of what he had ordered, such as a crate of flashbang grenades, had not arrived. The salarian shopkeeper had claimed that despite his best efforts, he had been unable to obtain anything aside from the omni-tool, which Rassen had only actually received a few days ago. He had then cancelled the rest of the order. At this rate he had begun to suspect that the salarian might simply run off with the money he had been given instead of finding the grenades. The man had claimed on several occasions that he was putting himself at risk trying to acquire them, and Rassen suspected that he would eventually cut his losses and run. The omni-tool would have to be enough.

 _Of course finding out all depends on when he next rears his head._

Deciding to check on the progress of the omni-tool's calculations, Rassen left the living room, went to the workshop, and reattached the device to his forearm. Perusing the results, he nodded in satisfaction. The flamethrower software was still functioning correctly as he had suspected. Truthfully that was all his life had become at this point; preparing for his eventual confrontation with the Sith by checking his equipment when he wasn't practising lightsaber techniques. Well, aside from Shaela's training sessions of course. The quarian's enthusiasm was infectious day after day as they shot at holographic targets and researched various medical matters. His friend's eager personality helped to sooth his frustration about the lack of progress regarding the Sith… apart from when they used the Avengers.

As if on que, the quarian in question suddenly burst into his room and bumped into him, causing Rassen to rock back slightly on his heels before he regained his balance.

"Shaela, what's the matter?" He asked, quickly looking his friend over in worry. The last time she had collided with him, she was being chased by a gang of thugs who had tried to kill the two of them. Realisation suddenly dawned. "Did Aria message you because my omni-tool was busy running tests and she couldn't get through? Does she have anything new on the Sith?"

Shaela blinked up at him in confusion before seeming to notice their proximity and backed away. "I, um, no that's not what… Oh keelah I shouldn't have just barged in here like that. I just over-reacted and am really worried and need your help!" The quarian finished breathlessly, looking up at him with her silver eyes wide behind her visor.

Rassen gently guided her to the bed before sitting down next to her. "Whatever it is, Shaela I'll gladly help you. Now, what has happened?"

The quarian held up her wrist, which Rassen suddenly realised was emitting an incessant beeping noise. "M-my family are trying to call me."

* * *

Shaela bit her lip as her friend stared at her without moving. After a few moments of silence, aside from the beeping of her omni-tool, Rassen seemed to regain his wits. Shaking his head incredulously, the human then glanced back at her before responding.

"I don't… I mean to say isn't that a good thing? Why are you so worried Shaela? With the way that you barged in here I thought that there was some kind of emergency."

Shaela blushed upon realising how her entrance must have first appeared. "It's not… well it wouldn't be a problem normally, but as I'm on my Pilgrimage the circumstances are different and so…" Shaela pushed down the frustration she felt at her difficulty in explaining before continuing. "You remember that I tried to call them a month ago not long after we first met? They must have only just gotten the message as the Fleet only sporadically passes a functioning comm buoy."

"Ah, I understand now. You mentioned that Pilgrims don't typically contact anyone in the Fleet while on Pilgrimage, since the individual is supposed to prove their worth without relying on old friends or family." Rassen looked at her sympathetically. "Are you worried that they may be angry or disappointed at you for calling home?"

Shaela nodded vigorously to her friend. "Yes, exactly. Pilgrims are only supposed to contact the Fleet when there is an emergency of some kind. At the time we had just survived several near-death experiences and so it seemed appropriate to call them." She glanced at him nervously. "I'm afraid now that since that was so long ago…"

"They might not believe you, or at least think that you're exaggerating."

Shaela sighed sadly. "No, my parents will believe me. I'm more concerned about my sister, Rissel. She really looks up to me since I'm five years older and if she finds out that I had to call home…"

"She won't think any less of you."

"That's what I'm-" Shaela blurted, before realising that Rassen hadn't said what she had expected. She looked at the human, who calmly looked back at her as she began kicking her feet nervously, her heels gently thumping against the side of the bed. "Do you really think that she'll understand? I mean she's never left the Fleet and she was so proud of me when it was time for my Pilgrimage…" She felt herself trail off awkwardly as Rassen gently placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it before replying.

"I never knew my family, Shaela… well, my birth family at least. Master Dorass was like a mother to me. I know that now, in part because whenever I failed at something I was more concerned about making her disappointed than I was busy being disappointed with myself." Rassen then chuckled softly, and Shaela couldn't help grinning slightly behind her visor. Even if she couldn't see his face, she knew that her friend was smiling fondly at a particular memory.

Rassen then continued. "Whenever I failed though, she was always understanding and helped me find the drive to try again until I succeeded. If your sister loves you, Shaela then she will try to understand what you've gone through. I'm sure that I can back you up if there is any scepticism, though I seriously doubt that there will be."

Shaela beamed at him and quickly wrapped her arms around the Jedi's middle, squeezing him tightly as he sat there in surprise. Upon realising that her friend hadn't moved, the quarian quickly released him before pushing off from the bed.

"I'm going to go and… and call them now. I-I'll come back and knock if I, um, need your support." Shaela quickly ducked out of her friend's room before he had a chance to answer, and turned her mind to her parents and sister before she could get too wrapped up in her confused feelings regarding Rassen.

* * *

Five minutes passed and Rassen remained sitting in the exact same position on his bed, still trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. While he had been hugged (or initiated a hug) only a handful of times over the course of his life, they had all felt very much the same. A prime example would have been when he had hugged Shaela after she had told him that he could stay with her for as long as he needed when he had first arrived in her galaxy. In the heat of the moment, after one extremely long, confusing and frankly terrifying day, he had acted on instinct and simply embraced the quarian. It had been the result of strong emotion, as had the handful of embraces that had followed it. This latest one had in that sense been no different.

So why had it felt different?

Rassen replayed the moment over in his head for possibly the tenth time. Shaela had looked up at him, gratitude brimming in her silver eyes, before quickly lunging forward and wrapping her arms around his waist. None of that was unfamiliar; the same had happened when he had told her that he believed that her people had a future better than they perhaps expected. The one difference though had been what followed after, the thing that had surprised him so much that he hadn't returned the embrace.

When she had held him, Shaela had let out an almost silent sigh of contentment.

Understanding began to slowly dawn on Rassen, before being replaced by even more confusion than before. Unless he was mistaken, which he might well be given his lack of experience in this arena, Shaela was becoming _attached_ to him.

Given that there had only been one person in his life that he had ever been truly close to, Rassen considered that he might well be looking too deeply into Shaela's behaviour. If this had been the only time that the quarian had done anything even slightly strange then he probably would have dismissed it.

The thing was though that when he really thought about it, Shaela had been acting slightly differently around him for a while now. Over the last two weeks or so she had suddenly stopped complaining, as least as vocally as before, about rifle practise. The quarian had made it clear on multiple occasions that she felt like she wasn't improving with the gun and had tried to persuade him to let her focus entirely on using her pistol. Soon after he had modified his own Avenger, Rassen had then upgraded hers as well. Shaela had then toned down her complaints regarding the weapon, and he remembered thinking that such a sudden change had been surprising. Shaela certainly still hated the M-8 Avenger, but had begun showing that emotion less outwardly. He had disregarded it at the time though, chalking it up to her accepting that it would be a good idea to be proficient with more than one kind of firearm.

There had certainly been a change in Shaela's behaviour towards him, but despite his sudden suspicions, Rassen could almost convince himself that Shaela had simply decided to stop making her frustration regarding the rifle known and instead thought that channelling that energy into becoming better with it was more productive. Almost, but not entirely. Just what had that sigh meant?

Rassen groaned before running his hands along his mask. Looking back through the years that he had spent training with Master Dorass had revealed to him that sometimes things were not always as they first seemed. It might well be the case that Shaela had started to view him as more than a friend, even if she didn't realise so herself. Assuming that was happening, it could lead to all manner of complications down the line. Chief among them being how he felt about the issue.

Despite his obvious inexperience with emotional attachment, at least until fairly recently, Rassen at least understood the danger associated with it. As much as he now knew that he had had loved his old Master and seen her as much more than just his teacher, there was a good reason as to why such a close bond was deeply frowned upon by the vast majority of Jedi. Emotional attachment was virtually impossible to avoid entirely; simply building a lightsaber often resulted in the Jedi becoming attached to it. Strong emotional attachment though, the kind that could impair judgement and disrupt balance, often proved to have devastating consequences.

So many examples could be taken from not only his own galaxy and the Jedi, but also this one. The most obvious example that he could think off from his own was Revan and his decision to defy the will of the Council and face the Mandalorians some three centuries ago. The young man had refused to stay out of the war between the Republic and the warrior people while the latter had been slaughtering their way across Republic space. The legendary Jedi had eventually defeated the society that had killed or ruined the lives of countless people and been hailed as a hero. He had soon returned as a far greater threat however, and he and his apprentice Malak had very nearly defeated the Republic and Jedi utterly.

Rassen didn't disagree with Revan's motivation for fighting the Mandalorians. The warrior society had needed to be stopped as soon as possible, considering how much destruction they had caused and how much would have followed if no action had been taken by anyone in the Jedi Order. Yet the fall of Revan and Malak indicated that becoming too involved emotionally could prove to be one's undoing. Even if it was not the primary cause of a problem, an emotional attachment could exacerbate it hugely under the right circumstances.

As for this galaxy, Shaela's own people were the best example that he could think of. Rassen had studied every significant race in this galaxy since arriving and was fascinated by the conflict between the quarians and their creations the geth. When the quarians had been forced to flee their home world and colonies, the other races had failed to come to their assistance. A lack of diplomatic communication, coupled with the geth rebelling, had resulted in the quarians becoming pariahs in the eyes of the rest of the galaxy and had resulted in suspicion and distrust among the quarians towards the other races as well. The Citadel Council had been quick to let emotion rule its judgment and refused aid to the quarians, and now three-hundred years later the latter were still largely confined to their Migrant Fleet, the rest of the galaxy forfeiting what the quarians could offer it in return.

Rassen didn't pretend to understand either Revan's fall or the banishment of the quarians fully. He hadn't even been alive at the time of either event and so didn't understand what the exact circumstances of each situation had been. Nonetheless, lessons could often be learned from history, one of those being that becoming too attached to something or someone could result in disaster. In short, emotional attachment could prove dangerous, particularly for Jedi, as Revan had proved.

If Shaela was interested in him in that way then eventually they would have to talk about it. A poorly thought out sentence or action followed by a poorly thought out response could be enough to seriously affect their friendship, possibly even damage it irreparably.

A month ago, before he had awoken to find himself in Shaela's galaxy, the thought of someone being interested in him romantically would have terrified him. The implications of what could come about as a result, regardless of whether he felt the same way could have been disastrous. A mere month later and the implications were still the same, the only difference being that it was possible that it was no longer a hypothetical situation. Shaela'Tole nar Kilal could be interested in him romantically. The idea didn't fill Rassen with the same fear that it would have just one month ago.

It was his acceptance of that possibility that terrified him now.

* * *

Unaware of Rassen's raging thoughts, Shaela stood in her small bedroom, eyes fixed on her omni-tool as the device slowly exchanged information with the Kilal. Despite the vast distance between her and it, the connection should have been almost instantly achieved as opposed to taking the several minutes that it so far had.

 _They must be having trouble with communications again. Dad often complains that there is only so much he can do when the hardware has been operating far longer than it was ever designed to._

The beeping finally ceased however and Shaela jumped in surprise before quickly transmitting the call to the battered terminal that stood on a chair in front of her bed. She and Rassen had spent most of the money that Aria had given them at this point, resulting in the small terminal that she bought being one of the cheapest that they could find. Despite its age however, the turian-built console still functioned surprisingly well. Shaela quickly sat down on her bed, turned to face the small terminal on the chair opposite her and then finally opened the call.

Despite the situation, Shaela couldn't help smiling as the familiar visor of her sister appeared on the terminal at the same time as her own appearance was transmitted to the Fleet. The green-suited quarian on the screen was fiddling with the corner of her hood, one hand scrunching up the emerald coloured material in worry before she let out a gasp and leaned towards the screen in astonishment.

"Shaela is that you?"

To her surprise, Shaela almost broke down into tears at the familiar sound of her sister's voice. She had of course missed her younger sibling terribly over the months that they had been separated, but had managed to compartmentalise her feelings for the most part. Hearing the worry in her voice though caused her to realise just how much she had missed her, how much she had missed home over the last few months. Sniffling slightly, Shaela managed to get out a response.

"Y-yes Rissel, it's me."

Her younger sister let out another gasp before looking her up and down as best she could through the terminal's screen. "You look so… different. I wasn't entirely sure if it was you at first. Are you alright?"

Shaela quickly gave herself a once over, realising for the first time that despite her best efforts, she looked nowhere near as presentable as when she had first left the Fleet. Her suit remained intact, all of its seals working properly. However, the decorative cloth that covered the rubber-like material of the suit itself had faded in colour due to the stress of living on Omega, with there being small rips and tears in places. While she certainly wasn't in any kind of danger from the damage to those areas, it did mean that the difficulties of the past months since arriving on the station were apparent to another quarian. They knew what to look for, while a member of another race would have likely just assumed that she was even worse off than was normal for her people.

"It's been a difficult few months, Rissel. I'm okay now though, so don't worry about it."

Rissel's eyes narrowed behind her green visor and Shaela winced internally. She knew full well what was coming and also that it wouldn't be pleasant.

"You called the Fleet a month ago sis, and you're one of the smartest people I know! You wouldn't have done that unless it was serious. You can't just say that it's in the past and doesn't matter, not when it must have been so horrible for you at the time." Rissel's voice then dropped to its normal level. "I'm… I'm sorry, Shaela. You don't need me shouting at you after everything you must have gone through, I just want you to tell me what happened. We've just reached a comm buoy near the edge of salarian space after not being able to get near one in weeks and then ten minutes ago I found that you'd trying calling a month ago. I'm just worried about you."

Shaela felt a tear roll down one of her cheeks. Despite how quarians struggled through life for what little they could get, she couldn't help feeling immensely lucky in that moment. Very few quarians had siblings, owing to the strict rules that ensured a constant population level in the Fleet. Out of the thousands, perhaps even millions of quarians who were only children, the ancestors had seen fit to bless her with a sister. She slowly reached out towards Rissel and the other quarian reciprocated, the two sisters being there for one another despite the countless light years separating them.

"I'm okay now Rissel, I really mean that. About a month ago though I was in very serious trouble and in all honesty I'm very lucky to be alive right now." Shaela confessed.

Rissel whispered back softly. "What happened?"

Shaela smiled and noticed that her sister brightened considerably upon recognising her change in body language.

"I made a friend, a very interesting friend."

* * *

 _Breath in, breath out. In and out. Focus._

Rassen frowned angrily to himself as the usual peace he found while meditating eluded him yet again. No matter how much he tried to focus, how much he tried to clear his mind, he was unable to do so. Whenever he encountered a problem, he would normally enter a meditative pose and simply think, letting his mind arrive at the best possible answer. It had worked for him effectively in the past, with many situations that had been difficult to react to being substantially lessened in how daunting they were once he had calmed himself and become focused on finding a solution. Yet this time it was different. He was walking in unfamiliar territory and didn't honestly know if his suspicions about what was happening were correct or whether he was imagining things.

 _If I'm imagining it though then I should be able to find more flaws with my guess than I have been able to._

A sudden beeping from his omni-tool frustrated yet another attempt to find any kind of tranquillity. In fact, Rassen was so occupied with trying to focus that the noise caused him to flinch slightly. He quickly recovered from his surprise when he realised what the alert meant. Someone was trying to contact him and since Shaela was busy talking to her family, there was only one person that it could be.

 _Aria_

Rassen hit the accept button and the Pirate Queen's voice issued forth from the device. "I may have something for you, Voratt."

His mouth was dry as he responded. "What?"

"A dead vorcha, killed by some kind of pressure around his throat that crushed the windpipe. Hell of a force needed to kill one like that, owing to their healing factor."

"What makes you so sure that he's the one responsible?" Rassen asked, frowning. A being such as a krogan would be capable of crushing a vorcha's throat. This alone wasn't enough for Aria to be suspicious surely?

Aria's voice was completely serious as she responded, the usual smugness gone for once. "Because he left a message." The omni-tool emitted a slightly less shrill beeping than it had before, which indicated that he had been sent an image. Rassen quickly pressed a series of commands on his omni-tool and looked at the photograph, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he processed it.

The vorcha, the same vorcha that he had encountered a month ago he realised with a start, lay dead on the floor, its face contorted in an expression of agony. On the wall behind it someone had carved a single word into the metal, which had bubbled at the edges of each letter. Some kind of cutting beam had been used, the kind powerful enough to slice through metal without difficulty. There were several kinds of device that Rassen could think of that were capable of doing so. Considering what he had learned of the technology of this galaxy though and the way that the letters seemed to have been hacked into the surface of the metal…

It was almost certainly the result of a lightsaber.

The word itself was clearly meant for him given how general it was. Anyone else would have had no idea where exactly the word referred to, or why exactly it was important. Even Shaela wouldn't have had an exact idea of where the Sith wanted him to go.

 _Storeroom._

The place where his journey in this galaxy had begun. The place where the Sith had looked for him and where he had in turn looked for answers. Somewhere that no one else, even Aria with her vast connections would be able to find on short notice. After all, how many storerooms were there on Omega?

Whatever his reasoning, the Sith had decided that now was the perfect time for the two of them to meet again. The former had every advantage; he had chosen the time, the location and was simply more powerful than Rassen. He only had his armour, lightsaber, upgraded rifle and omni-tool, and not a lot else. After waiting a month though, one thing was certain.

He wouldn't keep the Sith waiting for long.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: The tweaks that I mentioned last chapter took far less time than I first expected them to. As a result chapter 11 is here already! I do plan to go over this entire story with a fine tooth-comb once it is finished, in order to eliminate as many of the currently outstanding issues as possible. For the moment though I feel comfortable continuing as the little niggling feeling in the back of my mind about those earlier chapters is now gone, which is nice. Reviews:**

 **Inaba always: Without getting into spoilers, I'd already considered a few of those ideas and plan to include them in this story. For the most part however really going into depth with things like the Council and differences between the Mass Effect and SWTOR galaxies will be confined to the possible sequel. I've had a blast writing False Masks so far and while it is a bit premature, I have a few ideas about where the sequel could go. My goal at the moment however is simply to write a tolerable (perhaps even good if I'm lucky) Mass Effect/Star Wars story that does not end up being unfinished. I truly hate it when I'm really into a fanfic and then find out that it will never get an ending.**

 **I'm very glad that you're enjoying this story so far. As much as I am writing it for my own enjoyment, it is just as much for everybody who wants to read it. It's my way of trying to give something back to this site, which I have gotten so much enjoyment from over the last few years.**

 **seabo76: I'm looking forward to it as well. As for the vorcha, I totally agree with you there. Poor guy. Maybe we'll get a cool companion one in ME5? There is talk that another Mass Effect is happening…**

 **Chapter 11: Grey**

"I take it that you know which storeroom he's referring to given-" Rassen stabbed the end call button on his omni-tool, cutting Aria off mid-sentence. This was it then. After all this time, after all of the weeks since their first encounter, it seemed like the Sith had finally tired of waiting. What he had being waiting for Rassen had no idea, aside from the fact that it was probably either to do with him or was something related to how the two of them had arrived in this galaxy.

The Jedi quickly glanced over his omni-tool, confirming that its status hadn't changed since running it though today's tests. He then marched to the workshop before picking up his modified Avenger and scanning it with the device on his wrist. His ever present armour was next, swiftly followed by his lightsaber, which he tested by simply switching it on and then off.

 _There is no reason to wait any longer then. Aria will likely find which storeroom he is at if I decide to deal with this another day. As much as I'm sure that she wants me to deal with the Sith to save her the credits and manpower, I wouldn't put it past her to try and kill both of us in one attack if she thought that she could do it._

As he left the workshop and began to walk past Shaela's bedroom, Rassen hesitated. What exactly could he tell her? That he was leaving to fight an opponent he had already lost to once, perhaps even to the death this time? No, but if he simply left and never returned then he had a horrible feeling that Shaela might waste months of her life looking for him. She would certainly realise in the end what had happened, but he suspected that she would deny it at first and throw away any chance of finding a Pilgrimage gift by using everything she had to find him. In all honesty he would almost certainly have done the same for her.

Yet he couldn't just tell her where he was going. He strongly suspected that he knew what her response would be. She already knew that he couldn't simply leave the Sith to carry out whatever plans he had, he had made that clear on enough occasions.

So she would insist on coming with him.

A month ago he had insisted that while he was willing to face the dangers of going after the Sith with her by his side, she would stay away from the eventual confrontation itself. After the initial friction and then agreement with Aria, neither one of them had been in anywhere near the same amount of danger as they had in those first few days together. The location of the new apartment had seen to that and as a result the two of them had largely been left waiting for any further sign of the Sith to appear. He had kept his word to her that he would train her to use firearms more effectively and despite her trouble with the rifle, she had grown better and better when it came to wielding her pistol. Aside from his promise to help her find a Pilgrimage gift, he had fulfilled every obligation to her and been happy to do so.

Yet none of that would matter to her. Sith or no Sith she would insist on trying to help him the way that he had helped her in that corridor just over a month ago.

Deciding that simply leaving would be the best option, Rassen turned away from Shaela's door, only to hear it slide open behind him as the woman in question stepped out happily before noticing him.

"Rassen, great news! You were right about Rissel still being proud of me! It seems so silly that I was worried in… in hindsight." The quarian trailed off awkwardly as she noticed that he was fully-armed, something that he hadn't needed to be on this level of Omega after the meeting with Aria. "Um, where are you going?" She asked, looking him over curiously.

Rassen winced slightly, but managed to avoid giving anything away through his body language. "Aria wanted to speak to me," he lied, hating himself as he did so, "she wants me to do something for her in exchange for her continuing to keep her eyes open for any further signs of the Sith."

Shaela nodded quickly, her body language indicating that she understood the situation. Despite the circumstances, he couldn't help smiling slightly. Over the past month Shaela had grown, much more than she probably thought she had. Whereas before she had been terrified at the thought of confronting Aria, now she was prepared to do so at a moment's notice. Whatever it was that allowed her people to adapt so effectively, Shaela had it in spades.

"Then we better not keep her waiting. Aria doesn't seem like the type to tolerate lateness."

Rassen nodded slowly while trying to think up any conceivable excuse as to why she couldn't come. "As much as I admire your enthusiasm Shaela," he began, "Aria asked that only I go. Something about wanting as few people privy as possible to what she has to say."

Shaela seemed to scowl beneath her visor, if the tightening of her eyes behind the light-blue glass was of any indication. "That makes sense. She's fine with telling you, but doesn't want to have to put up with a quarian."

"I'm sorry Shaela, but in this situation it is probably best to do what Aria wants, even though it is-"

"Wait."

"I'm sorry?" Rassen asked, unable to keep from clenching one hand into a fist, though he managed to at least make his voice sound somewhat normal.

"Aria didn't seem to have a problem with me before. In fact she seemed perfectly happy to ignore me most of the time. If she had thought that I might steal something or cause any other trouble, then she would at least have had one of her guards constantly watching me." Shaela started pacing and Rassen gently unclenched his hand. Although he usually considered himself to be fairly inscrutable (a result of Jedi training), Shaela had grown increasingly adept at reading him over the time that they had known each other.

Normally a person's voice was the most likely thing to give them away while lying. If slightly too much or slightly too little emphasis was placed on a certain word, or if their voice broke slightly when talking, the other person could easily tell that something was amiss if they were paying attention. In this instance though, his body language was more likely to give him away than his voice was. He finished straightening his fingers just as Shaela turned back to face him, giving no indication that she had seen anything amiss. That had been too close.

"I doubt that she would suddenly have an issue with me for no reason," Shaela continued. "Do you think that whatever she wants you to do has something to do with a quarian and that's why she doesn't want me to come?"

"Possibly, but in truth I really don't know what Aria wants."

Shaela shook her head in disgust. "If it has to do with my people then I have to be there Rassen. I can't simply sit this out. I have a duty to the Fleet to help out other quarians at all times."

"I understand that, but as much as I hate to admit it, Shaela," Rassen began, "it would be unwise to go against Aria's wishes if we have nothing to gain by doing so. Besides, there is absolutely nothing to indicate that a quarian could be involved in any way."

His friend nodded to him. "That's true, but if Aria specifically said that she doesn't want me there then I can't rule out that possibility Rassen. I still need to go. On top of that, we both agreed that we can't trust Aria, so you shouldn't go on your own anyway."

Shaela wasn't going to back down, he realised. She would insist on coming even if he continued to try and dissuade her, he could see it in her eyes. She was absolutely determined not to be left on the side-lines and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Rassen swallowed heavily as Shaela looked up at him unflinchingly. Lying wasn't working. If he was going to leave and perhaps never come back then he didn't want his last words to her to be a lie anyway, even though he would never forgive himself for what he would have to do next.

He took a deep breath and stared back at her. "It has nothing to do with a quarian, Shaela."

His friend seemed to recoil slightly at the bluntness of his response. "But I thought you just said-"

"That I didn't know? I was lying."

"B-but why? After everything why would you try to lie to me?"

Rassen didn't answer and Shaela crossed her arms angrily in response. "Why Rassen," she demanded, "why lie? I thought that we dealt with this a month ago when…" She trailed off and Rassen couldn't help sighing sadly. She was quickly connecting the dots. It was too late to change his mind now.

"…When you left that morning without saying anything. When you left to find out more about…" She trailed off again and even if he hadn't known her so well, Rassen would have been able to recognise her shock easily; the quarian's eyes were so wide behind her visor. "Aria contacted you. That part as least wasn't a lie. But it wasn't about wanting you to do her a favour was it? She found out more about the Sith and you want to go looking for more answers."

Rassen didn't answer her for a moment. Finally he managed to whisper a response so quietly he could almost imagine that his friend would miss it.

"Yes."

"Then we're going together," Shaela declared. "You told me what you learned the last time that you had a lead. I'm not leaving you to face another discovery like that on your own."

Now it was Rassen who crossed his arms. Anger was normally something he went to great lengths to avoid. In this instance though, it was better to let himself feel angry than guilty. Guilt would mean Shaela had won and he couldn't allow that. Not with what was waiting for him. Anger would give him the drive to push her away, to resist her demand. He stared down the quarian, who stepped closer so that their masks were only a few inches away. He then leaned in so that their masks were practically touching, so close that he could just make out the tip of her surprisingly human nose. As she blinked in surprise at their proximity, he spoke calmly and clearly so there could be no doubt between them.

"No."

Shaela flinched back like he had struck her. "But I don't… you said that you trusted me, that you'd let me help you." Her head snapped up as she looked at him in horror. "Except for when you found him. You said that when you found him you wanted to fight him alone."

"You agreed if memory serves."

"I-I only said that because I wanted to help! You agreed to try and teach me to fight better so I could try to make the galaxy a better place!" Shaela was shouting at him now, her usually melodic voice harsh and unyielding. "You lost last time Rassen, you can't beat him on your own and you know it. I know that you haven't been teaching me for long, but I've gotten better with my pistol-"

"You are staying here." Rassen couldn't help snarling out each word. "He's from my galaxy and he's a Sith. That makes him my responsibility. No one else knows what it's like to fight one. Nobody else on Omega has a chance."

"He could kill you!" Shaela was screaming now and Rassen could just make out tears running down the inside of her visor. She was hysterical as she pushed him up against the wall behind him. "If I go with you then-"

"He could kill you as well!" Before he realised what was happening Rassen was screaming right back at her, any trace of his usual calm long gone. He forced himself to get a handle on his anger as Shaela back away slightly, clearly surprised by his outburst. He had to do it now, he realised, while she was caught off-guard.

"I'm so sorry about this Shaela," he began. "But you're giving me no choice. I hope that someday you can forgive me and if this," Rassen barely manged to hold back tears of his own at what he had to say next, "if this is the last time that I see you then I want you to know that you are the best friend that I've ever had. There is so much potential in your future, so much light that you can bring to the lives of others. Goodbye."

"Rassen," Shaela's voice was a whisper now as tears continued to run down the blue glass in front of her face, "I don't-" she trailed off at seeing that he had begun to raise one of his hands. "No! Please don't Rassen, please don-"

"Goodbye Shaela'Tole nar Kilal." Rassen then let the emotion drop from his voice before speaking clearly and loudly, each word feeling like it killed a part of his soul to utter. "You will not follow me or try to find me. You will remain here until either I return shortly or do not at all. If I do not return then you will move on with your life as if we had never met."

As Shaela began to repeat his words in a flat monotone that made her sound more like a droid than a person, Rassen stepped past her and exited the apartment like a ghost.

* * *

 _Even if she eventually understands why you did it, she may never forgive you._

Rassen angrily pushed the thought aside and pressed on, making his way to the turbolift that would take him to his destination. It had been fifteen minutes since he had left Shaela alone in the apartment, the quarian's eyes glazed over as she repeated his commands aloud. Fifteen minutes since he had used the Force against the only person he trusted in this galaxy.

Oh he had used the Force to manipulate others during his time on Omega on multiple occasions. The various groups of batarians that he had needed to deal with on his first day aboard the station, the now dead vorcha who had tried to attack him and finally the elcor bouncer outside Afterlife. They had all been obstacles that he had used the Force to circumvent. Yet in each case Rassen had always been able to justify his decision to use the Force and as a result felt minimal guilt. He had sent the batarians on their way in the hope that they wouldn't attack anyone else as opposed to killing them. He had tried to change the vorcha's mind-set, to convince the creature that it shouldn't try to eat other sentient beings. Finally, as to the elcor bouncer, he had needed to see Aria as soon as possible and so had to get past the huge alien. Of the two routes ahead of him, Rassen had chosen the one that avoided violence.

But with Shaela, Rassen just couldn't justify his decision. He was trying, Force knew he was _trying_. But the look of betrayal in his friend's eyes was burned into his mind. On paper his motivation had been the same; he used the Force to persuade her for exactly the same reason that he had in the other cases after all. Simply put, it was the best solution that he could think of at the time.

But the look in those eyes…

Rassen was snapped from his thoughts as he bumped into someone, causing the person in question to fall to the ground. Berating himself for becoming so distracted, Rassen looked down to see that he had accidentally barged into a salarian, who was looking up at him in surprise and no small amount of fear. He slowly extended his hand to the person, a male he realised, judging by the horns atop his head, causing the man to look at him curiously. Rassen cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was going."

The salarian glanced at the offered hand for a moment before taking it and allowing Rassen to pull him to his feet. The man then quickly brushed himself off before speaking.

"No harm done, human," the man said reassuringly, his words tumbling out in the rapid-fire way that Rassen had become used to hearing from his people, "getting too deep into our thoughts to see where we're going happens to the best of us."

"Are you hurt?" Rassen asked, feeling a small amount of guilt.

"No, no I'm quite alright," the salarian replied, nodding quickly in an attempt to reassure him. "I was just a little startled; between the armour and mask you appeared quite intimidating at first, that's all."

Rassen nodded to the man. Jedi did not typically dress in an overly imposing fashion, a fact that was due to their frequent role as diplomats and ambassadors. Nonetheless, during times of war such as that currently occurring in his galaxy, Jedi often found themselves donning armour, as he was currently doing himself. The mask was unusual however, but then the current circumstances were in themselves unusual.

"I'm sorry that I startled you, sir. I'm afraid that as you may have gathered, I am in a bit of a rush. I hope you have a pleasant afternoon." Rassen then stepped around the salarian, who called back to him as he began to walk away.

"Thank you, sir; I hope that you do too!"

 _As much as I appreciate the gesture, I think that is somewhat unlikely._

* * *

The corridors of the level where he had first arrived had so far been much the same as Rassen remembered. Rust covered the walls, floors and ceilings, with dull yellow lights barely being able to cut through the gloom. So far however he had yet to encounter any trouble; there had been no roaming gangs of batarians or solitary vorcha. Rassen idly wandered if that was deliberate; if the Sith had somehow ensured that he could make his way through this section of the station obstructed. It was certainly possible, he had been in this galaxy for at least as long as Rassen after all. Regardless, Rassen was grateful for the silence as he continued to head towards the storeroom. It gave him time to think.

The Sith was more powerful than he was, but he did have a few advantages compared with their first fight. The counter-attack by this particular Sith and the other two that had resulted in Master Dorass' death had caught the two of them off-guard and separated. This time however it was just the two of them and he wasn't exhausted from having to race through a jungle. While he had elected to leave his blaster rifle at the apartment (using a blaster weapon against a foe armed with a lightsaber was ill-advised unless you had a small army firing at once), Rassen did have the modified Avenger and his new omni-tool. Neither would be enough to kill the Sith on their own though. Truthfully however, that wasn't his main aim. In spite of everything, the Sith deserved that Rassen gave him a chance, as much as he hated to admit it. He also was almost certainly responsible for how Rassen had ended up in Shaela's galaxy. Killing the Sith wouldn't get him any closer to finding a way back.

 _Shaela._

Summoning all of his willpower, Rassen forced the image of the quarian from his mind and tried to breath more evenly. In and out. In and out. Remaining calm and focused was crucial when you were about to face a Sith. One mistake, even a small one would often result in defeat.

 _I lost once. I will not allow it to happen again._

Rassen was still concentrating on his breathing when he felt it, a slight prickling feeling at the edge of his perceptions. If he hadn't been focusing on remaining calm and collected then he might well have missed it, but it was certainly there. There was no mistaking it as it grew stronger the closer that he got to his destination.

It was the feel of the Dark Side.

As much as the sensation felt distinctly wrong, it somehow also felt distinctly _right_. The seductive nature of the Dark Side seemed to be pulling at the edge of his mind, indistinguishable whispering at his ear. It would be so easy to listen, particularly when he was so confused at the moment. Perhaps the whispers held some ans-

No. That wasn't who he was.

The pressure on his mind continued to build and build until Rassen reached the final corner between him and his goal. Swallowing heavily, the Jedi Knight then stepped past it to stare down the corridor at the storeroom at the far end. It was exactly the same as he remembered it, except for one difference.

There hadn't been a figure in front of the door last time.

The Sith slowly turned around to face Rassen, his black robes whispering quietly around him as he did so. Armour in the same colour as the robes covered the man's body, starting at his boots and rising up to his neck. From there the same mask as before sat, the red and grey of the visage standing out amongst the rest of his clothing. The same twisted runes of the Dark Side across the cheekbones seemed to glare at Rassen hatefully, though like before some of them had been partly worn away. Then there were the same scratches from eye level to the edge of the jaw that the Sith seemingly hadn't bothered to have fixed. Finally there was the eye-slit, the same pitiless gaze emanating from behind it as last time.

Aside from the mask, the only deviance from the colour black was the lightsaber clipped to the man's belt, which as with many of its kin had some sections that resembled polished steel. The Sith was in short exactly how Rassen remembered him, just as tall as the Jedi himself, but infinitely more menacing.

The Sith took a step forward, drawing the lightsaber from his belt but not yet igniting it. Rassen repeated the gesture, keeping his gaze locked with the Sith's as he did so. He had been caught off guard by his opponent's behaviour at the start of their previous duel. He would not let that happen again.

The Sith calmly observed him as Rassen copied the former's actions, making no move to stop him. For a moment it seemed as if the whole world stopped. The usual groans of this level of Omega, caused by a lack of proper maintenance, faded away. The sound of running water through the walls likewise vanished. In that moment it was just the two of them, Jedi and Sith, light and dark, facing down one another as they had when the first confrontation between the two Orders had begun so many generations before.

Then the Sith spoke and for the first time he heard the voice of his adversary. The man's voice was rich and strong, though within it there was an undeniable edge of malice. His words seemed to echo in the air as they left his mask, lingering far longer than they should have.

"Rassen, at long last we meet again."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I made a minor edit to Chapter 9. Upon looking up the chronology of SWTOR (which isn't always clear when playing the game), I realised that I had said that there was a thirty year period of uneasy peace after the Treaty of Coruscant. I have modified this to the correct period of eleven years, which puts the point that Rassen says he became a Jedi Knight as not long before the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Dekuton: Thanks for leaving a review. With my average chapter length though it seemed like a good place to stop, cliff-hanger or not.**

 **FerunaLutelou: I'm sorry to hear that you're not enjoying this story. Has there been nothing that you've liked so far?**

 **Chapter 12: Confrontation**

Rassen hid his surprise as best he could, though he was sure that the Sith picked up on it. During their previous encounter one of the most frightening aspects of the man who stood opposite him had been the fact that he had never said anything, never shown any aspect of himself that wasn't purely to do with either combat or the Force. Yet now instead of attacking him immediately, the Sith seemed like he was willing instead to at least talk first. That was certainly unexpected.

But it also raised additional concerns.

Rassen had already gathered that the Sith hadn't wanted to kill him at their first meeting. He had certainly had the opportunity to when he had emerged victorious, but only a few hours later Rassen had found himself waking on board a Republic medical ship. At that point at least the Sith must have wanted him alive for something, though Rassen still hadn't the slightest idea what that something had been.

Realising that the Sith was standing there waiting for a response, Rassen forced himself glance directly at his opponent's mask, fighting the near overpowering urge to look away.

"Why?" He asked, unsure how to properly articulate a question that could cover everything he didn't know. "After that first fight, why do everything that you have? Why not simply kill me when you won?"

For a moment he thought that the Sith wouldn't respond, as he stood there silently, seemingly mulling over the question in his mind. "Because you were of use to me," the black armoured figure finally replied, the vocabulator in his mask adding a slight rasping hiss to his words. "That is why you still draw breath."

Rassen frowned behind his mask. "What did you need me for then? I'd hazard a guess that it had something to do with how we both arrived in this galaxy. But if that is the case, I certainly don't recall helping you in any way."

"I did not require your consent to make our journey here possible Jedi, just your presence on that day was enough. We are not the first and we shall not be the last."

Rassen felt a shiver run down his spine, the rifle that he had attached to his back pressing into it uncomfortably. One Sith roaming freely in this galaxy was bad enough, but dozens, hundreds? They could begin establishing another empire in secret; slowly build up their strength as they had done in the period after the Great Hyperspace War, before then attempting a galactic conquest in a whole new galaxy. Or perhaps the Sith had something else that was just as horrifying planned?

"If you were not the one to discover a way from one galaxy to another then who was?"

The Sith looked at him in what Rassen could only describe as amusement. He was enjoying this conversation, savouring the calm before the storm. "An earlier generation; a small group of Sith who believed that they could not advance through the ranks of the Empire, owing to their own weakness. Somehow they were able to establish a link, a gateway between this galaxy and ours, though their exact means are unknown to me. As I have found no mention of them in my time in this galaxy, I assume that they perished ingloriously after succeeding."

"But why transport me as well?" Rassen asked. The more the Sith told him the more questions he seemed to have. "If you wanted to come to this galaxy then why bring me along as well?"

"Because I needed you to make my own journey possible, Jedi."

Rassen couldn't help laughing harshly at the man opposite him. "You had a strange way of asking for my help, Sith."

The Sith pretended to not to hear him as he continued. "One of those ancient Sith created a holocron, a store of great knowledge. That it how I learned of the gateway's existence. The creator, she claimed that the gateway itself was a rift in the Force, that it lacked a physical location, much like the Force itself. Therefore, like the Force it is always present if you know how to look for it."

"So how did you discover how to utilise this gateway then?" Rassen asked.

"I discovered it by forming a connection between the two of us."

The implications of that sentence sent another shiver down Rassen's spine. "What kind of a connection?" He asked, dreading the answer.

If his tone of voice was anything to go by, the Sith was grinning as he delivered his next revelation. "A Force bond. Such as the one that develops between master and student." Seeing that Rassen was about to interrupt, the Sith pressed on before he could. "The gateway itself is a tear in the Force, as I said. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to open it wide enough to explore what lay beyond. Then inspiration struck me. Your Order is weak, Jedi. You are losing the war and everyone knows it, except of course for the Force. As far as the Force is concerned, no one side is superior. Sometimes you cannot break down a doorway, but neither can you wait patiently for it to open of its own accord. Sometimes you need to knock to gain access."

Understanding dawned on Rassen. "That's why you needed me. The Dark Side didn't hold all of the answers, so you needed the Light as well to open the way. The gateway is comprised of both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force. It is a rift in the Force itself, not just one aspect of it."

"So you begin to understand."

"But the Force bond that you say exists between us; you formed that on the jungle world where we first met?"

"Yes. It took time for it to truly settle into our respective minds enough for me to use it to transport the two of us. Like I said though, the gateway itself lacks a physical location, meaning that we were both transported when the bond had become strong enough, even though we were in different parts of the galaxy."

The various pieces were beginning to fit together. "The gateway transported us both to Omega, but to different locations on the station. I arrived here," Rassen indicated the storeroom behind the Sith, "but where did you arrive?"

"One of the hanger bays. I did consider simply leaving the station; its inhabitants do not overly concern me. I then realised that there was one loose end. Jedi are annoyingly persuasive and I was naturally concerned that you might be able to get someone in this galaxy to see things your way. Therefore I decided that you needed to be dealt with."

Now they had arrived at one of the questions that Rassen truly had no possible answers for. "It's been more than a month though, why not simply try and kill me as soon as we both arrived?"

The Sith laughed again, the cold sound echoing off of the walls around them. "I sensed the ripples caused by your presence and came to this area, determining that this was where you first arrived. I did consider simply continuing to look until I found you, but then I thought that it would be more entertaining to wait and observe. I wasn't disappointed."

As much as he didn't want to ask, Rassen found himself doing so anyway. "What did you find so amusing?"

"You and how you've changed."

"What?"

"The bond between master and apprentice for the most part is a natural development that is caused by years of getting to know one another." The Sith said, as if explaining to a child. "The Force begins to bind the two of them together, often ensuring that their fates are somewhat linked." He laughed again and Rassen realised that he was quickly growing to despise that sound. "Implementing the bond myself instantly, even if it did take a while to reach full-strength has altered you Rassen, even if you haven't noticed."

"What are you talking about?"

The Sith tilted his head curiously at him. "Have you done anything that you would normally have considered unlike you during your time in this galaxy?"

It could have been a trick, an attempt by the Sith to throw him off-balance and indeed Rassen nearly responded that he hadn't noticed anything different about himself, before realising that as much as he hated to admit it, the man across from him was right. There had been signs for a while now that he was changing, making decisions that were unlike him. When he had encountered the vorcha a month ago, he had nearly killed it after he had immobilised it with the Force, despite wanting to give it a chance to change its ways. He had tried to find information on the Sith as fast as possible, even if it meant consorting with Aria T'loak of all people. Rassen had tried to justify it as needing to stop the Sith as soon as possible, but could he have found another way? Then once he had actually found him, Rasen had decided to rush off to face the Sith at the first available opportunity. Finally, he had used the Force against Shaela to ensure that she stayed behind, even when she had begged him not to. Rassen slowly raised a shaking hand to his face before an even greater realisation struck him.

He had only started wearing his mask after he and the Sith had fought for the first time.

The Sith seemed to be smirking at him as Rassen slowly sorted through his memories. He was still him, but as much as he could come up with reasons as to why he had made all of those decisions, felt all of those urges, he could not deny that he had become more violent, more impulsive since that first encounter.

He had become more like a Sith.

"You… you're responsible for this, all of this." Rassen spat, his anger boiling over, rage beginning to manifest physically as the refuse on the floor of the corridor began to be slowly dragged across the ground as if by an unseen wind. "You killed Master Dorass, you tortured me, you used me to transport yourself here and the process you used to create a Force bond is an abomination of the Force itself."

The man shrugged back at him, clearly enjoying Rassen's anger. "I deny none of it."

Rassen tried to get a handle on his rage, there was still so much he didn't understand, but for now two questions rose to the forefront of his mind. "Before we do this then, answer me two final questions. Firstly, what is so important about this galaxy? Secondly, who are you?

"Regarding the second, you may call me Zaressh, Lord Zaressh if you feel so inclined. I suppose that you have at least earned the right to know that, Jedi. As for the first, Rassen… that is the one question that you shall never know the answer to." The Sith ignited his lightsaber, the scarlet blade hissing to life angrily. "I thought that it would be amusing to see what the effect of everything would be on you and as I said I was not disappointed. Trying to find me by working with the Pirate Queen and living alongside the lowlifes of this station? It's been hilarious to watch. Now though, your use has expired and I'm afraid that our little unofficial partnership has come to an end."

Rassen ignited his own lightsaber, the sapphire blade illuminating the white armour of his forearms. "After everything that you have done, Zaressh, I don't believe that you have any inclination to reject the Dark Side." The Sith began walking towards him and Rassen raised his lightsaber threateningly. "But perhaps your mirth about how much I have changed since we first met has been a little too presumptuous. I will give you one chance to surrender peacefully."

Zaressh responded by lunging forward at blinding speed, his lightsaber poised to impale Rassen through the heart.

* * *

Grizz swallowed heavily as he approached Aria from behind. Having to deliver bad news to the asari was never pleasant. While she wasn't as likely to kill you for failure as some of the other criminal leaders in the Terminus Systems, she never forgot when someone let her down. When his boss gave no sign of having heard him, the turian coughed awkwardly to get her attention, causing the asari to turn away from the goings-on of Afterlife below her. Grizz couldn't help shifting uncomfortably as Aria moved to her usual position on the couch before gesturing for him to begin.

"I-ah, we still aren't sure which storeroom the message refers to. A few of us have scanned the area and all we've really learned is that the letters were melted into the wall by some kind of energy device. We're still hopeful that-"

Aria waved a hand dismissively and Grizz swallowed in fear before nodding to her and turning to leave. As he began walking away, the asari spoke and her words caused a real sense of terror to settle over him as she called to him from her seat.

"You know that I expect results, Grizz. Work faster."

* * *

Rassen ducked under a slash that would likely have taken his head off. He then stabbed his lightsaber as Zaressh's exposed side, causing the Sith to back away for a moment less he be skewered. The Jedi used the interval to analyse the situation. Zaressh was certainly the better duellist, much like he had been so many weeks prior. Rassen had been able to keep up so far however, owing to the fact that he hadn't been exhausted before the fight had begun this time. Even so, the advantage still rested with the Sith.

Zaressh then closed the gap, raining three quick blows down upon Rassen; one towards each shoulder and then one directly at his head. The Jedi blocked each attack in turn before swinging his lightsaber at the Sith's side, forcing his opponent to abandon his offensive and block. The two of them then pushed against one another, both trying to force the other to back down. Realising that his opponent was over-balanced from leaning all of his weight into the saber lock, Rassen suddenly relaxed his stance and allowed the Sith to push past him. As Zaressh staggered forwards, Rassen swung his knee upwards with all of his strength, slamming it viciously into his opponent's stomach. A ragged gasp made it past the Sith's mask as the air was knocked out of him and he backed away to give himself some space.

Using the precious time granted by Zaressh's retreat, Rassen stepped backwards as well, increasing the distance between them. The Jedi then removed the Avenger from his back, the weapon smoothly extending to its full length as he did so. Zaressh, having recovered quickly and about to move in for another attack, barked in laughter at the sight.

"Using what is tantamount to a blaster Jedi? At least you like to think outsi-"

Rassen slammed his finger down on the trigger, using the arm that held his lightsaber to brace the weapon from the underside. At a range of only three metres, he didn't confine himself to short bursts as he had taught Shaela. The staccato rhythm of the modified rifle filled the corridor, forty rounds of tiny sand-sized but nonetheless lethal projectiles making their way towards the Sith.

Zaressh quickly raised his lightsaber to defend himself from the incoming shots, but it was obvious that he hadn't expected to have much difficulty blocking them. The sheer rate of fire forced the Sith to back away from Rassen even more in order to protect himself. Even so, one of the shots caught him across his saber arm as he attempted to block it and another cut a groove across the right side of his chest plate.

As the Avenger hissed a warning that its removable heat-sink had hit full capacity, Rassen slammed the release. The spent thermal clip fell to the floor and the Jedi moved quickly to reload the Avenger, only to be forced to move backwards himself as Zaressh lunged forward, lightsaber poised to thrust through his chest. He pivoted away from the attack, slipping the rifle onto his back as he did so and then swung his own lightsaber at Zaressh's front leg. To his surprise, the blade managed to strike the side of the Sith's knee before the latter could manoeuvre his own lightsaber to block, the smell of cooking flesh filling the confines of the corridor. Despite the advantage that his rifle had brought him though, Rassen soon realised that he had made his opponent even more dangerous.

Zaressh had struck at him with fury when their duel had begun, but there had been a measure of control present. The kind of control you had when you knew that you had the advantage and were guiding the situation exactly the way that you wanted it. Zaressh's injuries disrupted the Sith's control and the man's attacks became more primal. Seemingly running on pure rage, the Sith raised his lighsaber above his head and brought it down in a crushing blow upon Rassen. The Jedi blocked, but was sent staggering by the force behind the attack. Zaressh was every bit as strong as he was, perhaps even stronger.

The Sith repeated the attack again and again, his lightsaber smashing down onto Rassen's own, the two lightsabers screaming whenever they made contact. The Sith's reckless aggression would normally have left him open for a counter-attack, but the fierceness of his blows, coupled with how quickly he launched them meant that Rassen was unable to take advantage of his enemy's lack of focus on his defence.

A sudden impact against his back caused Rassen to quickly glance behind him. He had been so focused on parrying the Sith's attacks that he hadn't noticed that Zaressh had managed to push him back to the wall at the other end of the corridor to the storeroom, the one that had been to his back when he had turned the corner and laid eyes on his opponent. Zaressh took advantage of his momentary distraction to swing his lightsaber low, aiming at Rassen's legs.

The Jedi's eyes widened behind his visor and he tried to move sideways, but despite his best efforts, he wasn't quite fast enough. A line of fire exploded across one knee as the lightsaber scythed across it, the tip of the blade cutting through armour, skin and muscle like they weren't there. Rassen forced himself to remain standing despite the agony that seemed to pulse from his knee in time with his heartbeat. Zaressh had suffered a similar wound and had remained fighting, he could to.

Unfortunately Zaressh had a few advantages that Rassen didn't possess.

As Rassen swung at the Sith's mid-section in retaliation, Zaressh swiftly blocked the attack, putting his full weight behind it. Rassen leaned into the saber lock too and the two of them strained against each other for the second time in the duel, both trying to force their opponent to give ground. For a moment Rassen seemed to gain the upper-hand as Zaressh's grip suddenly slackened, but the Jedi remained cautious, expecting the Sith to use his own tactic from before against him.

Then the Sith tore one his hands away from his weapon before pressing it firmly against Rassen's chest plate.

Despite his best efforts, the Jedi couldn't hold back a scream as for the second time in two duels, the agonising sensation of Force-lighting tore through his body. His vision swam as all he could see were flashes of blue and white lightning. After a few seconds, Zaressh cut off the flow of power and Rassen collapsed onto his hands and knees, groaning in agony.

The Jedi looked up at the Sith above him, only to be sent rolling across the floor when Zaressh viciously kicked him in the face. Only his mask saved him from having several teeth knocked out, but even so Rassen could taste blood. The Jedi attempted to manoeuvre himself back onto his front so that he could rise, only to feel a vice-like grip clench around his throat. Rassen coughed uncontrollably as the grip tightened, forcing him slowly to his feet and then lifting him slightly above the ground. Zaressh tilted his head in amusement and the grip tightened again, Rassen's coughing quickly cutting off as the pressure around his throat threatened to crush his windpipe.

"A much better attempt than last time, Jedi." Zaressh snarled at him. "I admit that for a moment there I was afraid that you were going to be able to kill me. But here is the crucial difference between us." The Sith leaned closer to him so that all Rassen could see was that terrible mask. "Fear, rage, hate, they make me stronger. You and your Order fail to use your own emotions like the weapon they are and that is why despite your past victories, ultimate triumph will fall to the Sith."

Despite the black spots that had begun to appear in his vision, Rassen managed to respond. "Y-you're not the f-first to, to think that, Sith. You always l-lose in the end. You just never see it c-coming."

Zaressh tightened his grip and Rassen's vision blacked out completely. He wasn't ready. Dying had always been something that he knew could occur at any time, due to the dangers of being a Jedi, but a part of him had never truly accepted that it could happen to him like this. What surprised him however was that it wasn't himself that he was worried about. Just why had Zaressh come to this galaxy? The Sith must have had a reason for leaving their galaxy for this one, even if he planned to return at some point. There had to be something he wanted here and whatever it was, it might very well allow him to cause massive death and destruction. Or perhaps the madman was simply interested in carving out a possible fiefdom in a new galaxy, with no rival Sith to challenge him. Whatever it was, Rassen would never know.

The Jedi let his eyes slowly close as the grip on his throat continued to tighten. He just hoped that someone else would be able to stop the Sith before he could do too much damage.

A loud sound, familiar to him but unidentifiable in his current condition reached Rassen's ears. Before he could guess what it was, the pressure on his neck suddenly vanished. The Jedi crashed back to the ground and gasped heavily, drinking in air as he never had before.

The same sound occurred again, over and over. A snarl caused him to weakly raise his head. Zaressh stood over him, the Sith struggling to move his lightsaber against some unseen foe, blood flowing freely from a wound in his shoulder. Staring at the man above him for a moment as he took in huge gulps of air, Rassen tried to understand what was going on.

He had lost; he was dying as Zaressh slowly choked him. Then he had heard that sound and suddenly it seemed like it was the Sith who was struggling to stay alive. As his oxygen-starved brain finally received enough air for him to think clearly, Rassen realised why that noise was so familiar. It was the sound of gunfire. More specifically it was the sound of a weapon from this galaxy. Not a rifle, the rate of fire was too slow; the shots being too measured if the slight delay between them was any indication. Yet they were too frequent to be the result of a sniper rifle and not loud and booming enough to be from a shotgun.

 _Pistol fire, but who…_

Rassen looked away from the Zaressh, towards the direction where the shots had come from. They had stopped now; the gunman must have needed to insert a fresh thermal clip. That fact registered only in the back of Rassen's mind as he recognised who it was who was firing upon the Sith.

They were short, at least compared with him. Their thin build was accentuated by the skin-tight enviro-suit they wore, the shades of dark blue making them difficult to spot in the gloom of the corridor that connected to the one that he and Zaressh were currently in. The visor that shielded their face from view was several shades lighter than their suit and behind it rested a pair of familiar silver eyes, narrowed in rage at the sight before her.

Zaressh, realising that Shaela couldn't keep firing, stretched out a hand towards her and then yanked it back towards his chest. Shaela yelped in terror as she fell onto her back and found herself quickly being dragged across the floor towards them. The Sith then lifted his lightsaber above his head, preparing to cleave the defenceless quarian in two.

Ignoring the screaming of his battered muscles, Rassen forced himself to his feet as Zaressh's lightsaber arced down towards Shaela and threw himself forwards. The Sith grunted in pain as he caught him with his shoulder in the side of Zaressh's mid-section, knocking the wind out of him again. As the Sith staggered back from the force of the impact, Rassen swung a fist at him with all of his strength, unable to supress a small amount of satisfaction as his armoured fist crashed against Zaressh's mask.

Snarling in pain, Zaressh threw out a hand and Rassen flew backwards, smashing into the same wall that the Sith had driven him up against earlier. The Sith again raised his lightsaber above Shaela, who desperately tried to scramble away.

Rassen glanced around hurriedly for his own lightsaber, cursing internally when he couldn't find it. Remembering the omni-tool on his wrist, the Jedi then flicked his arm at the Sith, his hand splayed open. A gout of flame erupted as the omni-tool activated, tongues of fire engulfing Zaressh from head to toe. The Sith's robes caught fire almost instantly and he staggered away from the attack, swinging his lightsaber blindly, narrowly missing Rassen as he did so.

The Sith then swung his hand in a wide arc and Rassen felt himself smash against the wall again, a cracking noise erupting as one his elbows struck the surface before the rest of his body. Gritting his teeth through the pain, the Jedi primed another attack on his omni-tool only to snarl in anger as he looked back at where the Sith had stood just a second ago.

Zaressh was gone.

Rassen glanced quickly from side to side and then reached out with the Force. As best as he could tell, Zaressh had fled after throwing him back into the wall. The Sith must have used his momentary advantage to call on the Force to increase his speed and escape. Rassen groaned as his adrenaline began to wear off and he propped himself up in a sitting position against the wall. As much as he must have wanted him dead, the Sith clearly valued his own life more; the unknown factor that had caused the madman to come to this galaxy in the first place must have been something truly significant for him to leave before he had finished the job.

"Rassen!"

The Jedi weakly glanced up as Shaela rushed over to him, the quarian nursing one of her shoulders from where she had been pulled to the ground. Crouching next to him worriedly, Shaela ran a scan with her omni-tool, gasping in horror at the results. Rassen grimaced as his friend's eyes widened behind her visor. He wasn't too surprised, if it was as bad as it felt then the damage he had sustained must have been pretty severe.

Shaela's fingers danced across the surface of her omni-tool as the edges of Rassen's vision began darkening. "I-I'm calling for help." The quarian sniffled, tears running down the inside of her visor. "There was this clinic that I had to visit a couple of weeks after I first arrived on Omega. They should be able to help you, Rassen."

The Jedi groaned again and felt Shaela take one of his hands in her own, the quarian squeezing it gently. Darkness had completely taken over the corners of his vision, though this time at least it was not accompanied by a crushing pressure around his throat. Rassen pushed back against the blackness weakly. There was something he had to know, something he had to understand.

"Why?"

Shaela looked at him with what his exhausted mind guessed was confusion. "Y-you're hurt Rassen, you need-"

"No. Not… not that." The Jedi managed to force the words out, despite how the darkness had obscured almost half of his vision at this point. "Why, after… after…" He trailed off, his hearing suddenly cutting out and his vision fading completely. The last thing he saw was Shaela leaning over him in panic, the light of her mouthpiece softly glowing as she held onto him desperately.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Reviews:**

 **Guest: The pacing of this story has come up a few times as a concern. Now that all of the pieces are in play so to speak, it should pick up a bit from the next chapter hopefully. Thank you for your time and encouragement, I really appreciate it!**

 **Chapter 13: Discovery**

Shaela stood in silence, staring at the wall opposite her. It had been three days since the fight between Rassen and the Sith. Three days since she had intervened and saved her friend's life. Rassen was receiving medical attention right now, yet she didn't feel happy.

Truthfully Shaela didn't know exactly how to feel.

When Rassen had passed out in front of her, she had been terrified. They had gone through so much together in the time that they had known one another. The idea that her friend could be dying right in front of her had frightened her more than anything else in her life had. The message that she had sent before he had lost consciousness had been to a clinic that she had visited due to an infection not long after she had first arrived on Omega. The station had no hospitals, so this was the best that she could do.

She also felt anger.

The Sith, whatever his name was, had nearly killed Rassen. If what she had seen and if what the doctors had told her was right, then in addition to his other injuries, the Jedi had been subjected to prolonged asphyxiation. The Sith had hurt him badly. More than that though, the monster had been content to draw it out, he had found pleasure in hurting Rassen.

Then there was betrayal.

Shaela understood what Rassen had been trying to do. He had left her behind so that he could fight the Sith on his own, ensuring that she wouldn't be anywhere near the confrontation. She also understood that if she hadn't caught him off-guard, if the Sith hadn't been badly injured from fighting Rassen, then she would be dead right now. Several days later, Shaela still found herself shuddering as she remembered the sensation of helplessness as she was pulled along the ground by the Sith, the scarlet blade in his hand drawing closer and closer. How he had raised his lightsaber to cut her in two as she had lain there unable to move due to his powers. Now she understood far better than she had when Rassen had tried to explain to her that Sith were powerful and extremely dangerous. The first-hand experience had been terrifying.

But a large part of her resented that she had been left behind.

Rassen had gone to fight alone, knowing full well that he could be seriously injured, possibly even killed. He had used the Force to make her stay behind even though she had wanted to help. Perhaps she wouldn't have been able to do anything. Perhaps she would have died fighting the Sith. As much as she had agreed to Rassen's condition that she not be involved in the fight itself, ultimately when the time arrived she couldn't stand the thought of him going alone. She had wanted to help him the way that he had helped her in that corridor so many weeks ago.

She had been scared and angry when Rassen's suggestion had worn off soon after he had left her in their shared apartment. Even though she understood why he had done it, she knew that she should feel furious with him. Keelah, she wanted to be angry with him as much as she did the Sith for doing that to her and going to fight the latter on his own.

Yet try as she might, Shaela couldn't find it within herself to be angry at Rassen. Betrayed yes, but not angry.

Within only a few minutes of her sending a message via her omni-tool, two of the staff from the clinic had arrived on the scene, placed Rassen onto a stretcher and then taken him to the clinic itself. She had hurried alongside, eyes fixed on the human's mask as he took slow, shallow breaths. Once they had arrived and reached the reception area, she had been prevented from following the stretcher any further, a doctor quickly explaining that they had to examine Rassen without any interruptions. She had paced anxiously outside the door, wheeling round to face it whenever a staff member came out, until finally after what seemed like years, the same doctor had emerged.

The doctor's report had caused her stomach to turn unpleasantly after he had asked if she wanted to hear about the extent of Rassen's injuries or not. She had told him that she wanted the truth. "He's suffered serious electrical burns of some kind across much of his body," the human physician had begun. "There is also a severe burn across one knee which has destroyed much of the flesh in that area and he is also showing signs associated with asphyxiation. Finally, he has a concussion, though that at least is mild."

As much as part of her hadn't wanted to know the answer, Shaela had asked him if a full recovery was possible. The doctor had sighed unhappily before glancing back in the direction that he had come from and then back to her.

"Much of that depends on him. Modern medical science is a wondrous thing, but some degree of physiotherapy may be necessary. Certainly there will be some significant scarring."

She had then asked if Rassen was permitted guests, to which she had been told that due to how the doctor and his staff were still unsure about what had caused him to almost suffocate to death, they were currently monitoring Rassen closely and thought it safest to keep him isolated until he woke up. As she had tried to protest, the doctor had calmly said that as soon as Rassen was awake and stable, they would tell him that she was waiting to see him. Shaela had nodded thankfully and then found herself a seat in the reception area. It wouldn't be long, she had told herself. She had seen Rassen do things that she would never had considered possible before meeting him. He would be awake and healthy in no time.

Three days later and she was still waiting.

Shaela turned away from the wall, having found nothing of interest from staring at it. That wasn't surprising; she had found herself examining it on several occasions over the past few days, while she waited for news. The doctor, whose name she had later learned was Daniel Abrams, had learned to expect her to ambush him at every opportunity by the end of the first day and so had taken to telling her what the situation was every time that he passed through the reception. Though Rassen's injuries were healing courtesy of the clinic's efforts, there was no indication as to when he would wake up as of yet.

"You really should try and get some sleep, dear. These things often take time."

Shaela tiredly turned to face the speaker, whom she recognised as one of the receptionists. The red-haired human woman with the kind face had occasionally tried to convince her to try and rest, even saying that she could stay in the reception if she really wanted to. Shaela appreciated the gesture, but seriously doubted that she could. Her mind was constantly racing, and the Sith was still out there somewhere. If he had been willing to come to a new galaxy, then she doubted that the injuries he had suffered would deter him forever. She was just hoping that Rassen would recover first.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't suppress a yawn as she replied. "I know, but I'm just worried that something will happen while I'm asleep."

The woman smiled at her gently. "I'll wake you up if anything happens in the meantime. I'm sure that he's doing well, he seems like a fighter."

Shaela blinked in surprise at the woman's statement. "Why do you think that?" She asked curiously.

"Well the armour and weapons were a pretty good indication. The fact that you've chosen to stay is what convinced me though."

Curiosity growing, Shaela asked what she meant.

"A lot of the time when someone is brought here, any friends or family head home. Often it's because they want to distract themselves from what's happened to someone they care about, but sometimes you can see in their eyes that they've resigned themselves. They really think that they're going to lose that person." The woman smiled that kind smile again. "I can see it whenever you pester Daniel about his condition; you haven't given up on him. That's why I think that he's a fighter."

Impressed, Shaela nodded to the woman behind the desk. "A fighter. That definitely sums him up pretty well, though I wish it didn't." She glanced away for a moment, before then looking back at the receptionist, who was waiting patiently. "Thank you," she admitted. "I needed to hear from someone else that he's going to be all right."

The human smiled again before pushing away from her desk and rising to her feet. "I'm not supposed to offer this," she began, "but I'm going to get myself something to drink from the staff room, would you like something?"

Shaela couldn't help smiling at the human's generosity. It was a pleasant reminder that not all aliens distrusted her because she was a quarian. "No thank you," she replied. "I'm fine for the moment."

The receptionist nodded, smiling that same friendly smile, before leaving the room as Shaela began slipping back into her thoughts. A second later however, the receptionist poked her head back around the door.

"I've just realised that I haven't introduced myself yet, sorry about that. I'm Jenna, dear and you are?"

"Shaela. Shaela'Tole nar Kilal."

"Well Shaela, he's very lucky to have someone like you looking out for him." Jenna winked at her before vanishing from sight. It took Shaela's frazzled mind a moment to realise what the human had not so subtly been implying.

 _Oh keelah, that's a whole other thing I have to worry about._

The sound of a door opening nearby caused Shaela to whip around as the by now familiar figure of Doctor Abrams stepped out, rubbing his brow with tiredness. Shaela hesitated before trying to get his attention; it had been a few hours since she had last seen him and the doctor appeared exhausted. As the human removed his hand from his face he happened to glance up in her direction, a smile overtaking his features. Shaela felt her tension drain away as he walked over to where she was standing before he began talking.

"It's the most remarkable thing; I just gave him a quick scan and noticed that he had suddenly started healing much faster of his own accord. Your friend is going to be fine, he's stable and awake though he still has a ways to go. He's been asking for you actually."

* * *

Rassen gently leaned against the wall closest to his bed and slowly stretched out his wounded leg. He had woken up only a few minutes ago to see a uniformed figure examining a series of files on his omni-tool. Upon noticing that he was awake, the man had quickly introduced himself as Doctor Daniel Abrams. The doctor had then explained that all of his injuries were healing, courtesy in large part to medi-gel, but even so the rate had sped up considerably in the last few hours and he was showing less scarring than would normally be expected. Rassen had muttered something about having advanced experimental medical treatment in the past. His quick recovery in reality was a result of having a close affinity with the Force and knowledge about how to use it to heal. A Jedi's body could repair itself surprisingly well compared with that of a non-Force user if the damage incurred wasn't life threatening. It appeared that the doctor and his staff had done enough for his instinctive abilities to kick in. He hadn't told Doctor Abrams that though, he doubted that the man would believe him.

The doctor had then explained that he was currently in a clinic on the same level of Omega as Afterlife, albeit a fair distance away from the night club. That made sense; Shaela had mentioned something about getting help before he had presumably passed out. Given that he was currently able to stand without too much pain, even if he was using the wall for support, he fully believed the doctor's claim that he had been unconscious for three days while being treated.

As if on cue, the door to his room slid open to reveal Shaela, who paused in the doorway, looking at him with wide eyes.

* * *

 _He isn't wearing his mask._

The thought raced through Shaela's mind as she stared at the human in front of her uncomprehendingly for a moment. It seemed so strange, almost _wrong_ for Rassen not to be wearing his ever-present mask. He also wasn't wearing his armour or cloak, the dull-white plates and brown fabric lying neatly folded in a corner along with his weapons. Instead her friend was wearing the kind of simple white clothes often given to patients. Without the mask he just seemed so… normal.

Rassen was certainly well-built, but not quite as bulky as his armour had made him appear. He appeared built for speed as much as pure brute strength, with his baggy clothing hanging off of him just slightly. What really surprised Shaela though was his face. Rassen looked young, like he had told her he was, but she had imagined that all of the fights that he had been in would have resulted in him looking rough, worn and dangerous.

His appearance seemed relatively standard for his species, at least as far as her knowledge of humans went. Brown hair cut short, blue eyes and a layer of stubble that she guessed wasn't much more than a few days old. He certainly wasn't bad looking but still, she hadn't expected him to look as young and healthy as he did considering all that she had learned about him.

"You… you're, um… Rassen?" She asked, part of her mind being unable to grasp the fact that the man in front of her was the same one that she had spent a month living with, despite the obvious evidence that it was.

Rassen smirked slightly at her hesitation. "Yes," he said, clearly enjoying himself, "and you are Shaela."

 _Bosh'tet._

"I-I wasn't expecting you to not be wearing your mask. I've never seen you go without it, or your armour for that matter."

"Would you prefer that I put it back on? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"I don-… no, no there's no need for that," Shaela stammered, thinking quickly about how she could change the subject before she said something embarrassing. "How are you awake and up already? After everything that happened I thought that you'd take much longer to recover."

"Force healing. Enough practise and it becomes something that a Jedi can do subconsciously. It's much slower than being conscious to direct the healing, but coupled with medi-gel, it seems that it has been enough for me to mostly recover. It would likely be a good idea to stay here until I am fully recovered though, the Force is certainly useful, but a professional opinion as to if there is any serious lasting damage would be of great benefit as well."

Shaela looked him and up and down carefully, searching for any obvious signs that he was over-exaggerating how much progress he had actually made. "Why are you leaning against the wall?" She asked, noticing that he had yet to move away from it.

The Jedi casually indicated his left knee. "As I said," he began, "I have mostly recovered. I expect that there will be some permanent scarring from the lightsaber wound," he paused for a moment, "and perhaps some from the lightning as well."

"Lightning?" Shaela asked confused. "What do you mean lightning? The doctor mentioned electrical burns, but lightning?"

"A Force attack. It's popular among some of the more well-trained Sith, it can be lethal and even when it isn't, it's rather painful." Rassen seemed to wince at the memory and Shaela stepped closer to him, again looking him over for any signs of damage.

"Where did he, um…"

Rassen indicated his torso. "It was directed into my chest," he explained, "but the area is a little ah, sensitive at the moment to changes in temperature. As much as I appreciate your concern, I'd prefer to keep my shirt on for now."

Shaela felt herself blush heavily and quickly changed the subject before Rassen could pick up on it. "So what happens now?" She asked awkwardly.

Rassen sighed guiltily, before glancing off to the side. "I wait until I'm fully healed and then go after him again." He turned to look back at her. "What are your plans?"

"You complete and utter _bosh'tet_."

"I'm sorry?"

"After everything that happened Rassen, you want to just go after him again on your own like the last few days were a bad dream?"

"What's the alternative?" Rassen asked and Shaela bit back her retort as she saw how sad he looked. "I still don't know why he came to this galaxy, Shaela. I know _how_ , though I only have his word for it. Something tells me however that he wasn't lying, he seemed too smug about it." Rassen limped over to her and Shaela had to crane her head back to look up at him. "He could be planning anything right now Shaela and that scares me, terrifies me even." The Jedi turned away from her, running his hand through his hair before turning back. "You were there at the end. You saw what kind of person he is, someone has to stop him."

Shaela stepped so close to him that they were almost touching. "Maybe it doesn't have to be just one person."

Rassen looked at her in astonishment, eyes widening. "I made you stay behind," the Jedi began, "you tried to come with me even though I had told you how dangerous it would be. I understand why you wanted to, but I still took that decision away from you. Why are you still so determined to help me after I did that to you?"

Her mouth was dry as she croaked out her response. "Because you're my friend."

"Is that the only reason, Shaela?"

Shaela looked down at her feet. Was it the only reason? Quarians were a tight-knit species, they had to be. Would she be willing to go so far for a fellow quarian, even if was in part to make the galaxy a better place?

Shaela thought back to her conversation with Rissel several days ago. When she had mentioned Rassen, her younger sister had eagerly pressed for details, having never met a human before. Shaela had left out the Force, the Jedi and quite frankly everything regarding life from another galaxy. Those all seemed like things that were better told in person, ideally with some kind of demonstration to prove that you weren't mad. The first thing that she had told Rissel about Rassen had hinted at his abilities, though now she wandered if she had meant more by that sentence than she had first realised.

 _I made a friend, a very interesting friend._

"Rassen, I-"

The door opened suddenly and she quickly backed away from Rassen, feeling equal parts frustration and relief. Right now she wasn't sure whether she wanted to hug or shoot whoever had interrupted them.

As it turned out that someone was the doctor. "What do you think you're doing!" He demanded, looking in worry at Rassen. "I don't care how fast you heal; you'll make your injuries worse if you don't get enough rest. Please get back into the bed, sir!"

Rassen glanced at her curiously and Shaela felt her stomach do flips as the Jedi seemed to look through her. She hated it when he did that while wearing a mask and it was quickly turning out she hated it when he did it without one as well. Rassen then turned and nodded to the doctor before limping back to the bed and gently sitting on it before lying down. The doctor calmed visually at the sight before turning to her.

"As much as I appreciate your dedication to him miss, he needs rest. I've never seen a human heal as quickly as he is right now, but he's weaker than he's letting on. His recovery will be even faster if we give him some peace and quiet."

"Doctor, please let her stay for a little longer, there is something important that we need to discuss." Doctor Abrams looked like he was about to protest before Rassen spoke again.

"I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't serious, doctor. Please believe me when I say that."

"I… very well, I'll give you both ten minutes, but after that I really must insist."

Rassen smiled gratefully. "Thank you, doctor and thank you also for saving my life. Sometimes simply being able to heal quickly isn't enough on its own.

* * *

A few moments had passed since the doctor had left and Rassen stared at Shaela, carefully examining her as if he could physically see it. He couldn't of course, it wasn't something that could be detected by sight, but for some reason he still felt the urge to. Shaela looked almost exactly the same as she had when they had first met, the only real exception being how her enviro-suit hung slightly less off of her slim frame than before. Aria's money had made sure that she was no longer starving and was approaching a healthier weight; or rather what Rassen guessed was a more healthy weight for a quarian.

"What is it?" Shaela asked, clearly a little uncomfortable being under his scrutiny.

"I'm sorry about that, I'm just a little curious about a few things."

"Curious about what exactly?"

Rassen tilted his head at her. "How did you find me?" He asked finally, coming right out with the main question that he had.

"I… why does it matter? I found you in time, isn't that enough?"

Rassen smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm very grateful for that Shaela, but how did you know where I was? You knew that I was going after Zaressh, but I never told you which level of the station, nor did I mention where on that level I would be." He tilted his head at her again. "So how did you know where to go?"

"Who's Zaressh?"

"That's what the Sith called himself. He was much chattier than last time." Rassen glanced away in thought before looking back at the quarian. "That is a whole other matter though, what really confuses me is how you were able to find me when you hadn't the slightest idea where to begin."

Shaela seemed as puzzled as he was. "I don't know," the quarian admitted thoughtfully. "I just felt that I had to find you and ran as fast as I could once I was able. I didn't have time to think about it."

Rassen looked away from her in thought again. So that was it then. He kicked himself mentally for not noticing it sooner. In retrospect, it had been obvious, the signs had been there, but he had been too wrapped up in worrying about what Zaressh could be up to and adjusting to a whole new galaxy to notice it.

Shaela'Tole nar Kilal was Force sensitive. That was the only explanation.

There had been so many moments since they had met where the events that had transpired could have fallen under simple coincidence. When you stepped back to see the full picture though, it seemed implausible that just so much could have happened in the way that it had through chance alone.

The fight in the market was the first example. He had knocked Shaela to the ground and dispatched most of their attackers, only to be nearly killed himself. Shaela had saved him by shooting the final attacker with one perfectly aimed round. The obvious reason behind the action was that she hadn't wanted him to die and had reacted instinctively. Nonetheless although she had some small amount of training, the quarian had never had to kill someone before, yet she had managed to do so perfectly on that first occasion, even though she still hated herself for it.

Then she had chosen to try and help him even though he had explained that it would be immensely dangerous. Rassen had simply chalked that up to the reason that Shaela had given; she wanted to make her galaxy a better place. Indeed, if that had been the only occasion that she had made that commitment and she had later told him that she wanted them to part ways (perhaps as a result of seeing Zaressh first hand) he would have completely understood. Yet even after he had used the Force against her and she had faced off against the Sith, she had decided to stay and try to help him, determined to face the danger that she knew lay in her future if she did so.

Then there was the Force persuasion itself.

Rassen normally would have considered this one a fault on his part. If the batarians that he had encountered on his first day on Omega had been any indication, then as he had thought at the time, he needed to try and improve his ability to persuade others through the Force. However, when he had encountered that first group again it had been several hours after he had first met them. The manipulation had worked perfectly when he had needed it to, presumably holding for a while afterwards even and against seven targets at once on top of that. He had also managed to convince the vorcha and Aria's elcor bouncer successfully, the first to change an entire aspect of its life (though he didn't know how long that suggestion had held) and the latter to allow him into its boss' headquarters. In order for Shaela to find him successfully, she must have shaken off the effects of his persuasion very quickly, the quarian being able to gather her wits enough to run after him in just minutes.

Finally of course there was the fight itself.

Shaela had managed to find him with no idea as to where he could be on the station in record time. She had also managed to catch Zaressh off-guard and severely injured his shoulder. The Sith had of course been wounded, but plenty of soldiers from both the Republic and the Empire alike had learned the hard way that it was almost impossible to launch a successful surprise attack against a wounded Force user.

Shaela was untrained and had no idea that she possessed the ability to wield the Force as a Jedi or a Sith could. Truthfully while he could feel the Force in this galaxy, Rassen had simply put that down to the Force being generated by all life. Where there was life there was also the Force. He hadn't considered the possibility that some of its inhabitants would be able to wield it, but of course with hindsight it seemed obvious that it was a least a possibility. Perhaps there had been some who possessed the ability to use the Force centuries ago, millennia even. The gift had just never been discovered and taught the way that it had been back in his galaxy.

Rassen glanced back to Shaela, who had been watching him in puzzlement. Taking a deep breath, the Jedi moved his legs over to the side so that a corner of the bed was available. He gestured to it and Shaela stepped forward hesitantly, her silver eyes meeting his in confusion.

"What do you remember of our conversation that night where I first stayed in your apartment?"

The quarian sat down slowly before answering. "You explained to me about the Force and how you used it to heal me. You also mentioned the Jedi and the Sith among other things."

Rassen felt himself grin. "Excellent memory as usual, Shaela. What did I say about the Force specifically?"

Shaela's eyes narrowed in concentration. "You said that life is responsible for the Force and that it is responsible for life. When I asked if it was possible for me to learn how to use it, you said that it was very unlikely, though not impossible."

Rassen stared at her silently, smirking just slightly. He could practically see Shaela's jaw drop as she realised what he was getting at. The quarian shook her head in denial as though she couldn't quite believe it.

"But I don't… I mean how is that possible? You're from another galaxy and you've fought in a war and seen things that I can't even imagine. I'm just… me."

Rassen let his smirk slip away as he gently placed a hand on the quarian's shoulder. "That," he said seriously, "is all you need to be."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Reviews:**

 **dekuton: Glad to hear it. Rest assured that I think that I have an interesting direction to go in with that particular idea…**

 **tch: First up I'm glad that you're finding this story interesting. Regarding your concerns, without getting into spoilers, some of them will hopefully be put at ease from this chapter onwards. I try not to put anything in for it to just be a throw away element explained with a handful of words on one occasion, so hopefully what I do will work for you in the long run. I have considered the potential problems regarding Force users especially and there is a proper resolution to all of that down the line. Concerning Rassen… as much as he is more worldly than Shaela, he is still relatively young and inexperienced for a Jedi. The plan is for him to grow as a character now that he knows that perhaps he isn't the same as he was prior to the first fight against Zaressh.**

 **Chapter 14: Confession**

"Are you sure that you're well enough to move?"

Rassen glanced up from where he had been attaching one of his armour pieces to look at the quarian who stood across from him. They had waited for two days while Doctor Abrams had continued to run scans and examine his injuries. According to the good doctor, he was currently fit to leave the clinic, provided that he didn't do anything too strenuous. Rassen had promised not to, though with Zaressh still out there, he doubted that he would be keeping that promise for very long.

"I think so, Shaela. Given that he came off almost as badly as I did, Zaressh will likely avoid us for the moment, I think. I would rather leave here now instead of later though. I'm afraid that my presence will put the people here in danger if we stay here much longer. Doctor Abrams said that I'm well enough to move, so that settles that particular matter."

Shaela gave him a worried glance. "We don't know that for sure, Zaressh could be anywhere right now, Rassen."

She certainly had a point about that. The Sith had claimed that he had only remained on Omega to observe Rassen and then kill him when he grew bored. Rassen still didn't know what exactly the Sith wanted aside from that though. Zaressh had admitted to needing him in order to travel to this galaxy, which meant that Rassen himself wasn't important as anything other than a loose end. Yet, Zaressh had been content to spend more than a month waiting and observing him for his own sick amusement. That meant that whatever it was that the Sith wanted, it wasn't going anywhere. Whatever his goal was, it wasn't in immediate danger.

The Sith had been injured enough to withdraw, meaning that as much as he no doubt longed for revenge, he would probably take his time before appearing again. It was entirely possible however that Zaressh had left the station to pursue whatever his goal actually was. He might have simply decided that he and Shaela were not worth the trouble at the moment and would try to deal with them later. Regardless, they needed to locate him as soon as possible.

All of that was why he and Shaela had agreed that they needed to talk to Aria again. There was a problem with that though, being that of the two of them, only Rassen had the Pirate Queen's omni-tool address programmed into his own device. Having been struck with a prolonged Force lightning attack, that particular piece of equipment had been completely fried. As a result, when he had awoken the only thing he had said which the doctor had been able to understand was Shaela's name, though fortunately the quarian had stayed close to him once he had awoken, meaning the barrier to communication had been removed. With the benefit of hindsight, only one of them having the ability to talk to the crime lord had been a foolish oversight. His Avenger had likewise suffered damage; though Rassen believed that at least could be repaired.

Attaching the final armour piece, Rassen was now almost the same as he first been upon arriving on Omega. On reflex, the Jedi reached for his mask, only to pause with his fingertips brushing the smooth surface. Zaressh had been right in that he had begun behaving differently ever since their first fight. He had become more erratic and even a little unhinged. If he had begun wearing the mask as a result of the Sith's influence then the obvious thing to do was to not wear it. Yet his original reason for doing so, or so he had believed, had been because he had wanted to honour his master, to remind himself each day that she hadn't died for nothing and that he would eventually bring her murderer to justice. Not for the sake of revenge, but because it was the right thing to do.

But was that really why he had worn it at first, or had that simply been what he had been telling himself right from the start?

What if he had been wearing the mask for the sake of intimidation without realising? Did he really want to stop Zaressh because it was the right thing to do, or was it because he wanted to make the Sith suffer? That line would be so easy to cross and in all honesty Rassen feared that he might well have crossed it already.

"Rassen?" Shaela's concerned voice dragged the Jedi from his thoughts and he looked up from the mask at the quarian opposite him.

"You know that you don't have to wear it if you don't want to right?" Shaela asked, walking over to him and picking up the mask. The quarian began examining it, turning it from side to side as she did so. During the last forty-eight hours Rassen had informed her of everything that had occurred between him and Zaressh in as much detail as possible. His friend was fully aware of the implications that the mask held.

Rassen sighed tiredly. He had found himself doing that more and more recently. He reached out an arm and the object in question gently rose out of Shaela's hands before floating towards him. Giving the mask one last conflicted glance, Rassen slipped it on and tightened the straps around the back of his head. He then lifted the hood of his cloak over his head and rose from where he had been sitting on the bed.

"I know, Shaela." Rassen blinked slightly at the slight distortion his voice had reacquired as a result of the mask being worn. "As much as a part of me wants to simply find somewhere to space or incinerate it though, it would be best if I continue to wear it for now. While our exploits have been confined to Omega, I think it would be best if my face remains a secret for the moment. That will enable me to go undercover by removing the mask if I should become too well known because of it."

Shaela nodded at his response. "That makes sense; there were no people in that area of the station where we fought Zaressh." The quarian paused, clearly remembering something unpleasant. "There were plenty of people in the market though."

"We are very fortunate that Omega is so vast. Anywhere smaller and we would be public enemies right now."

"That's true, though with Aria onside we probably wouldn't have to worry too much about that." Shaela paused, glancing down at her hands and Rassen frowned at her in confusion.

"As much as I don't like having to associate with Aria either Shaela, the fact remains that we have and there is no way to go but forward."

The quarian gave him what by now he knew was a look of confusion. "I wasn't thinking about that," she replied awkwardly.

"Then what were you thinking about?"

Shaela glanced back at her hands before looking over at him again. "Can you teach me?" The quarian asked, hesitation giving way to excitement as she continued. "To use the Force I mean. I've been thinking about it and you mentioned that I might be able to use it like you do, and if I learned how…"

"Go on."

Shaela gave him a determined look. "Then I would be able to help you more against him."

He firmly shook his head at her suggestion. "Not just for combat's sake, never just for that."

"I… what?"

Rassen picked up his lightsaber and rifle, before turning back to her. "I can teach you to use the Force if you really want to learn, Shaela. I need to know however that you want to learn for the right reasons. I've seen how you react whenever Zaressh comes up. He scares you, which is perfectly normal. More than that though, I can clearly sense that you despise him. You want to hurt him. I won't teach you if that will be your mind-set going forward."

"He hurt you though," Shaela protested. "After what he did to you both times; don't you want to stop him?"

Rassen attached his weapons to their various locations on his armour before responding. "Stop him? Yes, absolutely. I won't lie to you, Shaela, a part of me wants him to pay for everything that he has done, but I can't let that part of me control my actions. If I did then I would be no better than him." Rassen then turned to face the quarian before continuing. "The Force is about more than just fighting and a lot more than just revenge. We stop him because it is the right thing to do, not because we want to beat him. Do you understand?"

Shaela nodded. "Yes, Rassen, I understand."

Rassen smiled at her, even though he knew that she couldn't see it. "Then after we see Aria and get back to the apartment we'll see what I can begin teaching you."

The two of them left the room, proceeding to the reception, where Rassen noticed Doctor Abrams conversing with one of the receptionists. Upon noticing the two of them, the receptionist beamed, before glancing between him and Shaela. Out of the corner of his eye, Rassen noticed the quarian shift uncomfortably. Before he could dwell on it though, the doctor approached the two of them, likewise smiling.

"It's been a pleasure to be of assistance Mr Vance, though you'll understand if I never want to see you again. Please remember to apply the prescribed amount of medi-gel twice a day for the next few days." Rassen blinked in surprise for a moment before remembering. Shaela had told him just after he had informed her that she was Force sensitive that when he had first arrived, the receptionist had asked her what his name was. She had panicked and used the fake name that he had used when they had first met Aria. He had reassured her that he had no problems with her choice; at least that name had proven to be useful in the end.

Rassen chuckled at the man's comment. "Likewise I'm sure, Doctor Abrams. I will make sure to apply the medi-gel at the required times. Thank you once again for everything that your clinic has done."

"As I said it's been my pleasure, though I hoped that you could help me with something before you go?"

"Of course doctor, what is it?"

Doctor Abrams seemed a little embarrassed but nonetheless pressed on. "Well at a certain point while you were unconscious, your body suddenly began to repair itself at a much faster rate than is normal. I hope that you don't mind, but I took the liberty of testing a sample of your blood. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, but clearly something about you is. In the interest of medicine sir, could you please tell me what was responsible? So many lives could be saved as a result."

Rassen froze and considered his options carefully. He couldn't simply tell the truth as he doubted that the doctor would believe him. More than that though, Shaela was the only Force sensitive that he had met in this galaxy. During the previous two days she had allowed him to borrow her omni-tool to search for anything that might suggest the existence of others. He had found nothing, which had admittedly been surprising. Furthermore, operating under the assumption that he, Shaela and Zaressh were the only ones capable of wielding the Force in this galaxy; their ability could make them targets should it become common knowledge. Omega had proven to be dangerous and Rassen had no doubt that there were forces outside of it as well which would be more than just interested in him and Shaela if word should get out. For both of those reasons, telling the truth was not an option.

The easiest thing for him to do was to simply use the Force to persuade the doctor not to press the issue. That would only be a short term fix though, and Rassen hated the idea of manipulating the man in front of him, as he had done nothing but help him. The idea particularly repulsed him since he had done it to Shaela just days ago. The main alternative was to lie, but that in turn ran the risk of being found out. Despite his best efforts, Rassen didn't feel confident in his knowledge of this galaxy's medicine to trick the doctor in front of him, especially since he had proven to be excellent in his field. Fortunately though, Shaela came to his aid.

"It's the result of a new process that a scientist and their team back on the Flotilla came up with," the quarian began, Doctor Abrams switching his attention to her as she spoke. "The hope is that it will remove the need for medi-gel aboard the Flotilla, given that we struggle to acquire large amounts of it."

The doctor appeared baffled. "Why would a quarian invention be given to a human though?" He asked in confusion.

"I believe that the fear was that if something went wrong and a quarian's body rejected it, then their immune system wouldn't be able to cope. My mother, who was one of the members involved in the project, suggested that the best course of action was to test it on a volunteer from another race." Shaela shrugged in a manner that was so convincing that Rassen would have believed her if he hadn't known that she was making it up. The quarian continued. "Rassen volunteered to trial the procedure and well… the results are far beyond what was expected."

Doctor Abrams nodded in understanding. "That would make sense. Humans are a very diverse species, testing it on some of us, provided of course a levo-acid version could be developed, would allow for a greater margin of error than in the case of quarian volunteers. How exactly does this process work though?"

Rassen answered this time. "Those involved kept the exact process as secret as possible. All I know is that I got paid for my time and was doing something beneficial. I'm afraid that neither one of us knows how it works, doctor."

Doctor Abrams was clearly disappointed, but dropped the issue. "That explains how the two of you met then I suppose." He then shook hands with the both of them. "Good luck to you both. Miss Tole, please make sure that he doesn't strain himself too much over the next few days."

Shaela laughed at that. "I'll do my best doctor, though he can be a handful."

Rassen smirked at her before turning back to the doctor. "Don't worry; I haven't got anything too exciting planned. Just a short walk to see how well the process and your hard work have paid off."

* * *

"So you're still alive, even though I assume that you went to see him?" Aria asked, running her eyes over him critically. Refusing to show any weakness, Rassen made sure to keep his weight equally distributed between both of his legs, though his left knee protested strongly as a result.

"I am, though unfortunately so is he."

"Hmm." Aria turned from where she was reclining to glance past him at one of her guards. The asari nodded once and the batarian grunted before heading down the steps that led to the Pirate Queen's alcove. Rassen tilted his head at her curiously. The crime lord shrugged with a disinterested expression on her sharp features.

"I figured that I know you well enough that you won't try anything. Besides you've come to see me again, so you must need something."

Rassen rolled his eyes at that, not that Aria could see. "You already know what I'm interested in. Where is he?"

"Assuming that 'he' refers to your friend… he's no longer on Omega."

Rassen swallowed down a sudden surge of frustration before it could cause trouble. Aria respected professionalism and currently held the advantage. "Where did he go then?" The Jedi asked, running through the Jedi code in his head and allowing its words to calm him.

"The shuttle he took was headed to Querra. It's a small mining colony here in the Terminus Systems that produces various heavy metals. From the footage I have it seems that you did quite a number on him, if that's of any consolation."

Rassen clenched his jaw, unable to stop some of his anger from slipping into his words. "You knew where he was going, but you didn't try to stop him?"

"No. Would you have expected me to?"

No. He wouldn't have. Aria had believed him when he had told her that Zaressh represented a threat while still on Omega. Attacking the Sith, even while he was injured would almost certainly have resulted in a loss of resources and she knew that. It had been Aria after all who had told him about Zaressh killing five krogan effortlessly. Far more convenient for her to let the Sith leave the station. If he was no longer her problem then she didn't have to waste resources dealing with him.

"Why bother telling me this then, Aria?"

The asari smirked at him in that superior way that he had become used to at this point. "Why do you think, Voratt?"

Rassen knew that he should have expected this. Aria had manoeuvred the situation to her advantage perfectly. "Because you knew that if I know where he's going then I'll follow him. He gets dealt with regardless, but this way I'm off of Omega as well. You don't have to waste manpower dealing with him, or me for that matter should I become a problem."

"I did say that you learn quickly."

Rassen ignored the jab. "What is the fastest way to Querra?"

"You could either head there directly or take several ships throughout the Terminus Systems to get there," Aria shrugged. "Going directly would be quicker though, not to mention less expensive. I imagine that the credits I gave you are beginning to run out?"

"When is the next direct shuttle to Querra?" Rassen asked, ignoring the question.

"A week."

Rassen nodded to Aria and turned to leave. "Then our business is concluded." Aria's voice caused him to turn back to her however.

"In case this is your last visit then I suppose I should say this." Aria sat up and crossed one leg over the other before continuing. "Ideally Voratt the two of you will kill each other, obviously. If I had to pick one of you to come out on top though then it would have to be you. At least you deigned to talk with me, even if it was only because you had to." Rassen nodded again quickly before turning away once more, but he still caught Aria's final comment.

"And for Goddess' sake buy the quarian a drink!"

* * *

The two of them arrived back at the apartment at about midday, Rassen moving to the sofa in the living area as soon as they did. Grunting slightly, the Jedi carefully stretched out his injured leg, being careful not to aggravate it. The pain was to be expected according to Doctor Abrams, a result of the nerves still repairing themselves. Unfortunately Rassen doubted that he would be able to completely heal himself through the Force. Repairing bones was one thing as they were of relatively simple construction. Nerves were much harder owing to their sensitivity and complexity, and Zaressh's lightsaber blow had inflicted extensive damage to them. He hadn't risked healing it instantly himself in the clinic; just his body repairing itself more slowly while he was unconscious had caught the attention of Doctor Abrams. Nonetheless, it was worth a try. The Jedi concentrated for a moment before grunting in frustration. Unless he could find a more experienced Jedi (which seemed unlikely), he would have to stick to medi-gel until the injury was healed it seemed.

"Are you all right?" Shaela asked softly, gently setting herself down next to him. The quarian's eyes were filled with concern as she activated her omni-tool and selected its medical function. "Do you want to do it yourself or should I?"

Rassen shrugged slightly. "I don't mind, Shaela. If you would like to do it then please do."

The quarian nodded before rising from the sofa, retrieving a nearby chair made of the same plasteel equivalent as the one back in the old apartment, before sitting down on it and gently lifting his leg up so that she could reach the injury. The whole scenario felt rather familiar and Rassen smirked upon realising why exactly that was.

"This is exactly what happened all of those weeks ago, aside from a few minor differences," he noted. "The location of the injury, a different apartment, and the fact that it was the other one of us being treated being the main ones of course."

Shaela hummed thoughtfully as she began applying the medi-gel, the soothing coolness of the substance dulling the pain that had been present before. "I suppose you're right. It seems so long ago after… after everything."

Rassen nodded. "True, so much has happened since then." The Jedi trailed off, not knowing what to say next. After a moment of silence he spoke again. "What do you think you'll do once this is over? You've mentioned returning to the Fleet after you have your Pilgrimage gift, but aside from that what do you think that your future holds?"

Shaela had gone very still. "I'm not sure," the quarian began. "It could all be over soon couldn't it? I mean with Zaressh having run to a small colony like Querra it shouldn't be that hard to find him. According to Aria he didn't stop for treatment before leaving, so if we get the shuttle that's only in a week's time then this could be finished in less than two weeks couldn't it?"

"Potentially yes, though when Sith are concerned certainty goes out the window so to speak."

"I still don't know what exactly I'm bringing back for my Pilgrimage gift," Shaela muttered sadly.

Rassen gently gripped her shoulder, the quarian stopping her work at the contact. "We'll find something Shaela," he promised. "That was one of my conditions, remember?"

The quarian obviously hadn't been expecting that. "B-but I thought that… I mean I went back on my word, so I sort of assumed-"

"You saved my life by doing so."

The light in front of Shaela's mouth blinked on for a moment before switching off as the woman in front of him tried to think of a response. Rassen however beat her to it.

"I wanted to fight Zaressh alone because… well because I regarded him as my responsibility. As soon as I regained that part of my memories I thought that I had to be the one to deal with him, since that is when I learned that he was in this galaxy somewhere, possibly even on Omega itself." Rassen gently removed Shaela's hands from his leg. This was more important and besides most of the medi-gel had been applied anyway.

He then continued. "I was selfish, stupid even. I wanted to keep you safe Shaela, but I also wanted you to stay with me, even though I knew that would put you in at least some kind of danger." He paused for a moment before removing his mask and lowering his hood, allowing her to see that he was being completely honest. He wanted there to be no more doubt between them, not after everything.

"As much as you saved me from him, Shaela, you also saved me from myself. I know now that I cannot beat him on my own, regardless of the fact that I feel that he is my responsibility. You chose to come and help me knowing that it was dangerous, even after I made you stay behind. You've shown a greater maturity than I have during the time that we have known each other. You've grown so much as a person despite everything that you've had to endure." The Jedi gently removed his hand from her shoulder before nodding firmly. "When I first arrived in this galaxy I wanted nothing more than to find a way back to my own. Now though, I'm just glad that I met you."

"I'm glad that I met you too, Rassen." Shaela replied softly, taking one of his hands in both of hers as she did so. "The Pilgrimage is as much about experiencing the galaxy as it is helping the Fleet, but I would never have made it as far as I have without you." The quarian looked away for a moment before glancing back at him. "There's something I have to tell you," Shaela began nervously. "I just want you to know going forward, so that it doesn't come out at a time when it would be distracting." The quarian looked genuinely afraid and Rassen gently put a hand back onto her shoulder to steady her. Shaela removed one of her hands from his own and placed it over the one on her shoulder, squeezing it gently before continuing.

"In our discussions about your galaxy, you once mentioned that Jedi aren't… aren't allowed to… but I thought that if you're going to teach me about how to use the Force then I should tell you that… that… keelah, why is this so hard?" Shaela abruptly released his hands and stood up before backing away nervously.

"I-I didn't mean… it's not… I'm sorry." The quarian turned to leave and in that moment Rassen knew what he had to do. Shaela had felt some kind of attachment to him ever since he had first saved her, but at the time it had been simple hero-worship. He had likewise respected her for how although she had been very shy, she had defiantly stood up for what she believed in when it truly mattered. When he had realised that her feelings had grown into something more than what they had been, the Jedi thing to do would have been to confront her, to let her know as gently as possible that he couldn't return her feelings. But he hadn't and he knew why he hadn't.

He had been scared.

Emotional attachment was forbidden for Jedi and for good reason. But did it always have to be a bad thing? Shaela had saved him because she cared about him and she was a Force sensitive after all. He thought back to the sight of her aiming her pistol at Zaressh, staring down the Sith defiantly. At that moment he had been too tired and in too much pain to know what he had felt as he had stared at her. Looking back now he had a sneaking suspicion as to what it was. No, he certain about what it was.

Would it be so wrong to tell her how he felt about her? After everything that she had done for him, after everything he had done to her she had stayed with him. She had forgiven him for something that he would have thought certain to drive her away because she cared about him.

 _Tell her the truth._

"Shaela."

Shaela had just reached the doorway when his voice caused her to stop in her tracks, back still facing him. The quarian's shoulders slumped slightly, and he knew what she expected him to say.

"Please turn around."

The quarian slowly did, refusing to make eye contact, her gaze fixed on her feet. Rassen slowly rose from the sofa before making his way over to her, and gently tilted her chin up so that he could stare into her eyes. The two pools of silver shone with so many different emotions, but the ones that he saw there now made his heart clench. Fear, disappointment, despair, worry and so many others. That sealed it. She had tried to tell him the truth and now he would do the same. Rassen caressed the side of Shaela's helmet gently, causing the quarian to gasp in surprise. There was no going back now. If anyone from the Order found out then he would likely be expelled for what he was about to say. Many members had made their views of his closeness with his master perfectly clear and this would be far worse in their eyes, but in that moment he didn't care.

Perhaps attachment wasn't always so terrible.

Staring deeply into Shaela's eyes, Rassen calmly spoke.

"I love you too."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Well, it's that time again. I've just completed my third play through of Mass Effect (I mean just the first one, I have ME2 and ME3 to go) and this was my first time with the DLC (Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station). I can now properly appreciate Balak's return in ME3, whereas on my first play through of that game I had to look up who the hell he was. Remember the good old days when you bought a game and didn't have to worry about future content coming out that you'd need to play in order to appreciate future games fully?**

 **Ahem, so responses to reviews:**

 **Harlequin-TheDerangedAntiHero: Interesting idea there, but I think that in the long-run any kind of contact between Aria and Zaressh would have ended in tears. A crime lord who wants to maintain her position and a Sith who is as cruel and manipulative as you'd expect? It would probably have gone badly. I'm glad that you like Rassen and Shaela, OCs are in their own way just as hard to write as canon characters!**

 **Regarding Midichlorians… I'm mad enough to do many things, but given how people feel about that part of the Phantom Menace… I'm not quite mad enough to even mention them.**

 **Chapter 15: Lessons**

The two of them stared at one another as those four words lingered in the air, seeming to repeat themselves over and over. Shaela trembled as she replayed that moment in her head, searching for any reason that she might have misunderstood what Rassen had meant.

 _I love you too._

A large part of her had never expected to hear those words. After all, how could it be possible that he felt the same way? They were from two different galaxies, two different species, and two very different backgrounds. She was a quarian pilgrim who dreamed some day of becoming a doctor, while he was a Jedi, a member of a society older than her people's discovery of spaceflight. How could anything possibly work between them?

She had to have misheard him. That was the only possibility.

After what seemed like an eternity, Shaela eventually found her voice. Staring back into Rassen's eyes, silver meeting blue, she finally whispered her reply.

"S-say that again, please."

Rassen gently smiled down at her. "I love you too," he repeated, his deep voice washing over her.

Shaela felt herself slowly smile at him, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes and then escaping before she launched herself forwards, wrapping her arms around Rassen's mid-section. Unlike the last time she had done so, the Jedi responded instantly, holding her gently but firmly. Shaela leaned up as far as she could so she could whisper into the human's ear. He knew, but she still had to say it.

"I love you, Rassen."

The two of them stood there holding one another. Their other concerns could wait just this once.

* * *

The black armoured figure marched quickly across the surface of the wasteland, approaching his destination with a near total focus. Voratt and his surprise accomplice had cost him dearly. So much so in fact that he had deemed it better to run than to try and finish the two of them off. As much as he desired to see the two of them dead at his feet though, he continued to remind himself to be patient. The Jedi would come after him soon enough. He had spent more than a month in this galaxy and now it was time to collect his prize. All good things came to those who waited after all.

The surface of the world on which he had found himself consisted of little more than slate-grey rock, with steep hills dominating the landscape and the occasional twisted brown plant forcing itself up from within a crevice in the stone. How the flora produced enough oxygen for the small colony here to survive he didn't know. Nor did he care.

After the confrontation in the bowels of Omega, he had managed to make his way to one of the hangers. Approaching a short, squat alien in an enviro-suit who had been about to board a nearby small vessel, he had penetrated the being's mind easily and made it his. Rather fortuitously, it had turned out that the short alien was the pilot of the ship in question, which itself was a cargo vessel carrying food and other amenities. He had then boarded his new ship with the pilot and commanded the latter to head to where the holocron had instructed him. Querra the locals had apparently called it, according to the device. It seemed that they had kept the name over the last few centuries. The planet was home to a small colony that mined a variety of metals from beneath the rocky surface of the planet. These were then exchanged for other resources that were not produced locally, such as medical supplies, or simply credits.

The holocron had told him of many other things as well during its time in his possession. The rift that allowed a person to cross between his galaxy and this one for example, though the exact details on how to do so had been scarce beyond how it existed within the Force itself. Weeks of attempts to transport himself through the use of the Dark Side only had failed. He had eventually theorised that as the Force comprised both the Light and the Dark, both would be required to transport him. More importantly now he was here though was that the device had spoken of something being left on this world by those Sith who had first created the rift centuries ago. Something they had stolen before making the journey here.

Something powerful.

He had made the journey to this galaxy himself soon after he had theorised how to open the rift, just needing a suitable Jedi. One who was weaker than him so that they could be overpowered, but not so weak as to have so small a presence in the Force as to make travel impossible. He had felt whatever the object was pulling at him ever since he had arrived, just lying at the edge of his perceptions, calling to him softly. His communion with the holocron must be what enabled him to sense whatever it was; Voratt had made no mention of feeling a similar pull. He had resisted the temptation to go there before now though. There had been no urgency behind the pull, which meant that whatever it was had likely remained undisturbed all this time. Depending on what it was, he might never have reason to return to his old galaxy. Why not have fun with the Jedi who had made the trip with him?

The fun was over now though, the pull had become stronger once the fight had ended and he could ignore it no longer. His decision to stay on Omega in order to toy with the Jedi had almost cost him his life anyway. Zaressh had left the station almost immediately after the fight, sticking to the shadows and moving as quickly as his injuries would allow. The Dark Side had kept him going so far, it could keep him going a little longer. He had healed what he could using the Force during the flight and disposed of the pilot upon landing. Getting his hands on a doctor could wait until he had whatever it was in his possession.

He had left the settlement behind hours ago after taking some food and water from the now dead alien's ship's cargo hold. No one had taken any notice of him during the time that he had sneaked through the colony. His arrival had occurred during the planet's night cycle and those few individuals that he had encountered had been easily sent away through his mastery of the Force. Truthfully he doubted that anyone even knew that he was here, much less cared.

The pull was only growing stronger the closer he drew to its origin. If only the terrain was flatter, then he could have had the ridiculous alien land closer to his destination. There had been no transports present in the colony aside from the ships that were used to carry the minerals off world, owing to its small size. The mining facilities had been built first and the other buildings had sprung up around them. It would take days for him to reach his destination on foot in his current condition. One leg was dragging behind the other as he struggled forward across the rocky terrain. The trip had been agony so far, but then again…

All good things come to those who wait.

* * *

Rassen felt Shaela suddenly relax her grip on him and begin to pull away. The quarian glanced around nervously, refusing to meet his eyes. He frowned at her shift in behaviour.

"Shaela, is something the matter?"

The quarian finally looked up at him as she began to pace in the way he knew meant that she was nervous and thinking hard about something. He let her pace; if she needed to think about what was happening between them then he wouldn't rush her.

"It's just… I'm not sure," Shaela began, looking conflicted as she did so. "How does this work? I mean there are so many differences between us, not that that's a bad thing, but still…"

"They don't matter."

"Rassen, I-"

"Shaela, please listen to me." Rassen walked over to her and took both of her hands in his own. "I wouldn't have told you about how I feel if I didn't mean it. I've been taught for as long as I can remember to avoid emotional entanglements, especially love." He noticed that Shaela trembled slightly at the intensity of his gaze. "As much as I told you because I thought that you should know the truth, I also did it because I've realised that I..." Rassen trailed off and after a moment felt Shaela squeeze his hands, prompting him to continue.

Rassen smiled at her gratefully. "I told you mainly because I realised that I want to give this a try. You and I different to one another in many ways yes, absolutely. There are going to be a lot of difficulties that go along with that. But we were different when we first met as well and that didn't stop us from becoming friends. Why should this be so different?"

"Because… because I'll have to go back to the Fleet at some point. I have my family and," Shaela sniffled before continuing. "I have to go back eventually, Rassen. Then there's you. You'll have to go back to your galaxy at some point and like I said, this could be over in less than two weeks if everything goes right." She looked at him hopelessly. "What are we going to do?"

Rassen responded by pulling her back firmly into his arms. Shaela resisted for a moment, before returning the embrace. "I don't know," he replied hesitantly. "There are plenty of other Sith back in my galaxy that need stopping once Zaressh is dealt with, but even so…"

"What?" Shaela asked, looking at him hopefully.

"There is plenty of evil in this galaxy and there are thousands of Jedi in mine. I might be officially registered as dead for all I know, so if I never returned… well I wouldn't feel too guilty provided that at the end of the day I was still performing a Jedi's duty." Rassen smiled down at her. "If I stayed, is there some way that we could make it work after you return to the Fleet?"

Shaela shook her head. "Not easily, non-quarians are only very rarely allowed to visit the Flotilla. I would have to come to see you and getting leave from a ship's captain is almost impossible. We'd only be able to see each other very rarely."

Rassen nodded sadly in understanding. "We can cross that bridge when we come to it then. Which reminds me," he pulled away from Shaela, who watched him curiously. "Before we started telling each other how we feel, I remember that I promised to start teaching you about the Force?"

He grinned at the excitement in Shaela's eyes before walking to the centre of the living room and kneeling, gesturing for her to do the same opposite him. He waited for her to get comfortable before beginning.

* * *

"The first thing that you need to understand about the Force," Rassen said, "is that it is all around us. You remember that when we first met I connected our minds briefly to show you that I was telling the truth about myself?"

Shaela nodded, remembering the warmth that feeling the Force had brought her. "Yes."

"Jedi are normally taught from a very young age. In part this is because a child's mind has not entirely settled on one particular mode of thought. Their view of life can change much more easily than that of an adult. In all likelihood, the hardest thing for you to learn will be re-examining what you know."

"What exactly do you mean?"

He paused in thought for a moment, trying to think of the best way of explaining. "Non-Force users rely on their five senses. Of these the most important tends to be sight. I believe that the humans here have a saying, 'I'll believe it when I see it', yes?"

"That sounds about right."

Rassen smiled at her, noticing that Shaela smiled back from the way that her eyes brightened. "The problem comes from how you have become so used to relying on those five senses. It is very difficult to maintain a perfect awareness of the universe if you try to look at it through a keyhole. You want to try to be aware of as much as possible. Doing so requires you to rely on the Force through trusting your instincts. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the five senses, but they can be tricked or manipulated. What I will try to teach you is to trust in the Force to guide you rather than relying on just your senses."

Shaela nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Was that what I did when I tried to find you? I remember just running as fast as I could without knowing where to go. Somehow I just… knew I would find you eventually."

"That is it exactly. That was only in one situation though, have you ever managed to do something like that before?"

"No. I don't think so."

"What about when we first met?"

Shaela shook her head. "I was just trying to get away from the batarians. I was desperate, but didn't feel that same…" the quarian trailed off, making gestures with her hand as she tried to think of the right word.

"Sensation?"

She nodded to him. "Yes, sensation."

"Please close your eyes. We're going to try and awaken that same instinct." Rassen saw the silver glow behind her blue visor vanish as she did so. "Now imagine yourself as a part of something greater. A cog in a great machine perhaps, or even just as a member of the Migrant Fleet. Think about how every other part is connected to you and how you are connected to every other part. You all form one complete whole. You benefit and enhance one another through those connections. Reach out now with that mind-set."

Rassen closed his own eyes and focused on what he could feel emanating from Shaela. Concentration seemed to fill every fibre of the quarian's being as she strove to bear in mind everything that he had told her while trying to put it into practise.

"Easy, Shaela, don't try and make it happen, _allow_ it to happen."

They stayed kneeling together as the minutes turned into hours before Shaela suddenly let out a loud gasp and fell forwards, barely catching herself on her hands before she could hit the ground visor first. Rassen quickly moved forward and lifted the quarian up before gently depositing her on the nearby sofa. He knelt next to her as Shaela's eyes darted wildly beneath her visor before finally stilling enough to focus on his face. After a few moments the quarian spoke, her voice trembling slightly in awe.

"I-I felt something. It was li-like when you sh-showed me but… different somehow."

He nodded at that. "Everybody views the Force in a slightly differently way, owing to our own unique personalities. That will be why it may have felt different." Rassen couldn't help a small amount of worry from making its way into his voice as he reached out to take one of Shaela's hands. "How do you feel?"

Shaela squeezed his hand in her own before replying. "Overwhelmed, but fine aside from that. I'm actually a bit tired, though I don't understand how I could be from just kneeling in place."

"You aren't used to trying to use the Force intentionally. When it guides you of its own will then it's as easy as breathing. You managed to open yourself up to it as an adult with only what you have just learned. In all honesty I'm amazed that you managed to do that in such a short space of time."

The quarian squeezed his hand again. "I have an excellent teacher."

"I'll make sure to ask the Jedi Council to appoint me a Master based on that recommendation then." Rassen looked away, frowning in thought. "It is strange though; you are the only Force user that we know of who is native to this galaxy. From what I gleaned from the extranet while in the clinic there is no precedent at all, the closest thing being biotics. Yet somehow against all the odds, of all the people that I could have met in this galaxy, I met you."

Shaela nodded thoughtfully. "It is strange, isn't it?"

Rassen glanced down at her again. "I think that's enough for one day. Using the Force is something that becomes easier with practise. It would be better to do this again tomorrow rather than push on now when you're exhausted."

The quarian yawned suddenly before looking at him in embarrassment. "Sorry," Shaela apologised, stretching out slightly along the length of the sofa before pausing. "What time is it anyway?"

"Evening, I think. My omni-tool broke if you recall, you're the only one of us that can check."

"Bosh'tet."

He couldn't help laughing at that. "Someday you'll tell me what that word means, but for now," Rassen gently helped Shaela to her feet and began half-carrying the quarian to her bedroom, "you need to get some rest."

* * *

The next few days passed in much the same way as that one, bar the journey back from the clinic. Rassen would talk about the Force and then she would try and accomplish whatever tasks he set out for her. With each day Shaela noticed that she was able to hold onto the Force for noticeably longer than the day before. By the fifth day she could feel the warmth that feeling the Force brought with it from when Rassen asked her to start until he asked her to stop, to the Jedi's astonishment.

"It's amazing that you are progressing so quickly," he had remarked to her at the end of the third day. "Simply being able to feel the Force on your own as you did would usually take months of training to accomplish. Being able to focus long enough to hold onto the sensation for any real length of time should take years."

Shaela had felt herself blush as his praise. Ever since they had admitted how they felt about one another, Rassen had been less distant than before. He had always been friendly to her, but he no longer seemed quite as reserved when they spoke about themselves or spent time together as she learned from him. As much as their flight to Querra grew closer and closer, looming like a spectre over the two of them, Shaela had to admit that she was happy.

It was near the end of day five that Rassen announced that she was ready to try and learn an actual Force technique. All of the furniture bar one chair had been moved up against the walls of the living room, with the aforementioned chair sitting on its own in the middle of the otherwise clear space. It was at this point late evening, but Rassen had asked if she was willing to extend the length of today's learning if she wasn't too tired. Shaela had responded eagerly that she didn't mind in the least. Now the two of them stood facing the chair.

"One of the simplest, but most useful things that you can do using the Force," Rassen began, "is move objects without touching them. Biotics can do something similar, but my understanding is that the user generates mass effect fields to do so. What I am going to teach you is how to will the chair to move."

"Okay, where do we begin?"

Rassen, still without his mask, smirked at her enthusiasm. "Reach out to the Force like we've been practising and then imagine the chair moving. Don't try to throw it around the room or do anything too extravagant. Just try and make it move a little for now."

Shaela nodded and closed her eyes. The quarian let herself become immersed in the Force, its power and light all around her. As with every previous attempt, she had to concentrate on staying focused lest the Force slip away.

"Good." Rassen encouraged, his voice seeming as if it were miles away. "Now imagine what you want the chair to do. See how the Force exists around the two of you. Do not try and _make_ it move, but instead will it to."

Shaela slowly raised a hand in the direction of the chair, breathing in deeply as she did so. She then opened her eyes and concentrated with all of her might on the piece of furniture in front of her, imagining it moving a few inches backwards. A few moments passed and nothing happened. Shaela huffed and re-doubled her efforts. Still the chair remained where it was, seeming to gloat as it sat there undisturbed.

She could barely make out Rassen's voice telling her to stop at the edge of her perceptions. Shaela tried again, desperate to see the offending object slide backwards, but it sat there silently, completely oblivious to her intentions.

The next thing Shaela knew, the floor was rushing up to meet her before she suddenly stopped falling, suspended a few inches off the ground, floating gently in place. She looked up to see Rassen, hand out-stretched, walking over to her.

"Were you ignoring me telling you to stop, or were you so focused on trying to move the chair that you didn't hear me?" The human frowned, gently lowering her to the floor.

Shaela struggled to keep her eyes open as she responded. "I just… just wanted to move it. It's only two days until we go to Querra and I… and I-"

"- wanted to have mastered the Force so that you could help against Zaressh as much as possible."

"Yes."

Rassen sat down next to her and crossed his legs before hunching forward, staring at the wall across from them. "You've shown incredible progress, Shaela. I know that I've said that before, but I really can't stress it enough. When you hit your limit though, please don't try and push past it. Driving yourself past the point of exhaustion isn't a good route to take."

Shaela managed to sit up, though she had to lean against Rassen for support, not that she minded the proximity too much. "I know, but Zaressh… Rassen you've fought him twice on your own and lost both times. I don't want to see you get hurt like that again."

"I got better, didn't I?"

Shaela growled angrily at him. "Bosh'tet." She then grabbed the front of his chest plate and pulled Rassen down so that they were at eye level. "You were unconscious for three days Rassen. Three days. Doctor Abrams wasn't sure if you would make a full recovery at one point. I saw Zaressh nearly kill you. Please don't joke about this, how would you have felt if our positions had been reversed?"

The human nodded in response, looking guilty. "You're right, I nearly got myself killed. You stopped that happening and now I'm trying to do the same. Please stop pushing yourself so hard, Shaela. Your rate of learning is already amazing and we'll hopefully be able to finally stop him at our next encounter. But please don't do this to yourself again."

Shaela yawned as she released her grip and slumped against Rassen's side again. "Yes Master."

Rassen winced at the title. "You're not technically my Padawan, please don't call me Master, Shaela."

"Okay, Rassen." Shaela smiled before allowing her eyes to drift shut. They sat there together in silence for a minute or so before she spoke again. "Um, can you help me back to my room? I don't think I can make it on my own."

"Of course, Miss Bosh'tet."

* * *

With Shaela now resting, Rassen knelt in the centre of his own bedroom and immersed himself in the Force. So much had happened in the last few days and he needed to sort his thoughts out. The Jedi decided that the best option would be to examine one concern at a time before moving on to the next. That would allow him to compartmentalise each situation before continuing.

Firstly his recovery. The initial discomfort in his left knee upon returning to the apartment had by now completely faded, though it seemed that he would always carry a reminder or two with him. An admittedly unpleasant scar now stretched horizontally across his knee. More importantly though, he had noticed when focusing hard on the way in which he walked that he was still limping slightly. The limp itself was barely noticeable, but he would make sure to keep an eye on it should it become worse.

Secondly, his admission to Shaela. He had thrown aside thousands of years of tradition, a section of the Jedi Code and the cumulative wisdom of hundreds of Jedi Masters by telling her how he felt. Rassen didn't know when he had fallen in love with the woman who was currently sleeping several rooms away, but the first obvious sign that he could think of had been his reaction to when he had guessed how she felt about him. Where he should have felt calm, he had felt conflicted. The Code, the teachings were all there to prevent a Jedi falling to the Dark Side. But his Master had viewed him as the son that she had never had and he had loved her back, though he had only realised that recently. Neither one of them had been consumed by the Dark Side, Master Dorass even giving her life fighting against it.

In that moment after he had told Shaela how he felt, Rassen had expected something to happen. Some sign that he had made a serious mistake, that there would be dire consequences as a result. Instead he had seen Shaela's eyes feel with disbelief and then joy before she had launched herself into his arms. He didn't feel evil as a result… in fact he felt… happy, more than happy even. The Code forbade emotion absolutely, but each Jedi felt emotion every day. Masters smiled to one another as they discussed philosophy and teachings, Knights cheered each other on as they sparred, and Younglings were often seen chasing each other around the halls of the temple. Admittedly the latter were always told to stop, but that was always more due to the fear that they would damage something valuable rather than because they were having fun.

Somehow though, he doubted that many Jedi Masters would see it that way. Rassen had made his choice. He would still try and be the best Jedi possible, but deep down he knew that he had chosen Shaela over the Order. He had known the quarian for not even two months, but they had gone through so much together and helped each other through so many difficult situations. He trusted her completely. He had made his choice and looking back at it several days later… Rassen still believed that it had been the right one.

Thirdly, Shaela's immense rate of learning when it came to the Force. Her aptitude was nothing short of astonishing. It took years for most to gain the ability to use the Force in the way that she had managed in mere days. While it was certainly true that the quarian had found herself in far more trying circumstances than most Jedi learned under and had also shown boundless enthusiasm for learning, she should not have been able to learn as fast as she had managed so far. Concepts that he had expected her to struggle even understanding had been accepted nearly instantly as she strove to learn more and more. In months she would be as proficient as he was, even though he had spent far more than a decade studying the Force. Nothing he could think of could explain her rate of progress. In short, Shaela was learning at a mind-boggling pace and he had no real idea as to how.

Finally the topic he was most worried about; Zaressh. It would be just the two of them against him. If they brought along anyone else then they would get slaughtered, not that they had any allies now that Aria had made it clear that they were on their own. The Force had seen fit to help Shaela find her way to the last fight. That meant that the two of them had found each other for a reason, presumably because he couldn't defeat Zaressh without her. In truth he didn't want Shaela anywhere near the Sith, but she had made her choice and the Force seemingly agreed with her.

Two days until their flight. He had begun repairing his Avenger before deciding to spend his time outside of teaching Shaela meditating instead. The rifle had served him well, but Rassen doubted that the same trick would work twice. The Force told him that they could win. That would have to be enough.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Reviews are as follows:**

 **dekuton: Cool idea there, I admit that the Force awakening (hah!) inside Shaela was my original idea. It's not the one that I decided to go with in the end though, so sorry to disappoint. "Cute lil quarian", hmm? Glad to hear that she's growing on people.**

 **seabo76: I couldn't possibly comment. All will be revealed in time.**

 **Chapter 16: Departure**

The lightsaber cut through the air with its trademark hiss as Rassen brought it down upon an imaginary opponent. The Jedi then aimed a slash at knee height before side-stepping a lunging counter-attack. Next he raised his blade in front of him with both hands in a defensive position, imagining that there had been a break in the combat and he and his opponent were analysing one another. After a few moments of slowly circling to the left, Rassen then thrust forward with a quick stab before then pivoting away and raising his lightsaber in front of him once more.

He then imagined several heavy blows being rained down upon him; much like Zaressh had done in their last fight. Instead of reacting as he had then, simply blocking by raising the lightsaber horizontally above his head, Rassen tilted his hands to one side in order to misdirect his opponent's slash. The Jedi followed that up with a blow from one elbow towards the throat before then slashing towards where their chest would be. Rassen then held that position, imagining that he had just struck the final blow. The Jedi panted as the fatigue of several hours of exertion caught up with him, sweat running down his brow. He then hesitantly stretched out his left leg, noting with approval that there was no pain. His knee injury didn't appear to have been aggravated by the exercise and also hadn't slowed him while doing it, which was fortunate.

He had been so concerned with teaching Shaela over the past few days that he had only just last night realised that he had been neglecting his own skills. He had therefore made sure to awaken several hours earlier than normal in order to ensure that he was of the same standard that he had been before the fight with Zaressh just over a week ago. Happily it seemed that he hadn't declined at all. He and Shaela would be heading to Querra tomorrow and both of them needed to be in the best possible condition for the inevitable fight. They had no idea how long it would take them to find the Sith once they had reached the colony. They might not have much time after they arrived.

"So, do I get one of those at some point? Or do I have to officially be a Jedi?"

Rassen turned around to see Shaela leaning against one side of the doorway that led from the living area to the bedrooms. The quarian had seemed more comfortable over the last few days. She had changed in the time in which he had known her of course, but more recently he had noticed that she acted a little more comfortably around him specifically than she had before. It was like she was no longer afraid of being herself around him now that neither of them was holding anything back.

"Well typically you would have to be a member of the Order and pass a series of trials to earn the right to build your own," he replied. "Even if you had done so however, I'm afraid that I don't have the various components needed to construct another one on me." He paused in thought for a moment. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Only for a few minutes," Shaela responded, pushing off from the door frame as she did so and walking over to him. "Didn't you notice me?"

"It seems that I did not." Rassen frowned at her as a thought suddenly popped into his head and noticed Shaela tilt her head at him in puzzlement. He shook his head to clear away the idea before switching off his lightsaber and attaching it to his belt.

"Is something bothering you, Rassen?"

 _Force damn it, she is perceptive._

"Not wrong as such, no," he replied, moving to the centre of the room, where the chair from the last few days still stood before lowering himself into it slowly. "I just noticed something surprising. That's all."

He could feel the worry in the quarian's stare as she frowned at him. "Is it something that you want to talk about?"

"Not really."

"Is it something that we should talk about?"

"Yes."

Shaela didn't immediately press for answers, causing him to smile at her gratefully. She knew him well enough by this point. He suspected that even if he had been wearing his mask, she would have been able to tell that he was deep in thought just from his body language. After figuring out what he was going to say, Rassen spoke.

"Force users, indeed even Force sensitives have a… ability to sense when there is danger present. That is one of the reasons why Jedi and Sith make for such feared opponents among many of the individuals from my galaxy. During the fight with Zaressh, even though you were trying to hurt him, possibly even kill him… he didn't notice you until the very last second."

"What does that mean?"

Rassen ran one hand across his jaw, idly noticing that he had begun sporting a short beard. Mentally noting that he needed to shave later, he answered Shaela's question.

"Some Force users," he began, "are capable of disguising their presence within the Force. Both Jedi and Sith are capable of doing this, but while it is relatively easy to conceal oneself from any non-Force user, anyone who has been trained is much harder to fool. In spite of that though, you managed to catch Zaressh by surprise, even though he should have been able to notice you easily."

Shaela shook her head at his explanation. "That was just luck though. When we were attacked at the market that turian was able to catch you by surprise. How was that any different?"

"There were hundreds of people there," Rassen answered her. "That made it far more difficult for me to be aware of everything that was going on around me than it was for Zaressh during our fight. I was trying to be mindful of my surroundings, which meant having to cope with all of those other people as well as they tried to get away from the fighting. As much as Zaressh was occupied fighting me, catching him off-guard as you did indicates that you were able to conceal your presence from him despite your lack of experience."

"That does sort of make sense," Shaela began, clearly still not entirely convinced. "I do remembering praying that he wouldn't notice me before I started shooting at him."

"You instinctively used the Force to shield your presence from him, Shaela. That seems like the only explanation."

The quarian shook her head. "I understand what you're saying, but how is it of any use? Zaressh will know that we're both coming after him."

Rassen raised an eyebrow at her. "Will he?"

The quarian crossed her arms as she waited for him to explain.

"Zaressh knows that I'm coming after him," he began. "Whatever he has planned, he knows that I want to stop it. You however are an unknown element. He only fought you for a moment and even then he was operating on pure anger rather than analysing the situation. As far as he is concerned, you may have simply been someone living nearby who came to investigate the sound of fighting and then decided to intervene. If he cannot sense you, but knows that I am coming…"

"… then when we go to fight him…"

"…I could ensure that his intention is on me and engage him in lightsaber combat…"

"… while I try to look for an opportunity to take him down from another direction." Shaela paused for breath before continuing. "Are you sure that I'm ready for this, Rassen? I don't have years of training like you do and if I mess up and he manages to get away again…"

"Then it wouldn't be your fault."

"But I-"

Rassen shook his head and stood up, gently embracing the quarian and resting his chin on the top of her helmet. "This idea is risky, Shaela," he began, "and that's why I was reluctant to tell you. If you take an active role in the fight then you are in serious danger. But," he admitted, "there is no one I trust more than you. If Zaressh gets away again, or should the worst happen," he felt Shaela tighten her grip on him as he said that, "then it would not be your fault." He gently pulled away, placing his hands on the quarian's shoulders. "Understood?"

"Understood," Shaela replied quietly, reaching up to run a hand along the side of his face in the way in which he had done to her almost a week ago. Rassen blinked in surprise at the gesture of affection, before the quarian withdrew her hand and turned to face the chair where he had been sitting.

"It's about lesson time isn't it?" she asked coyly, but with a hint of nervousness.

Rassen shook away the slightly dreamlike state that seemed to have come over him. "Y-yes, it is about that time." He could sense Shaela's smugness at how she had managed to unbalance him so easily. Revenge for when he had done the same to her probably. "Like yesterday then," he said, "but this time stop if you know that you are going to overstrain yourself."

* * *

Shaela panted as she hunched over, hands on her knees. Despite her best efforts, she had been unable to move the ancestors-damned chair, which had seemed to grow increasingly smug at her failure over the course of the day. Rassen had kept a very close eye on her, ensuring that she stopped her efforts whenever he felt she was becoming too exhausted. The lack of progress was made more frustrating by the fact that she had been able to feel the Force and hold onto that sensation relatively easily. For whatever reason though, actually using the Force was eluding her.

Having caught her breath, the quarian straightened up slowly. Sweat ran down her face as she closed her eyes in order to focus. She began to raise one hand in the direction of the chair, only to pause at Rassen's concerned voice.

"I think that's enough, Shaela. You can barely stand up at the moment."

She shook her head vaguely in the direction the human's voice had come from. "No… want to t-try again… one more… time," she protested weakly.

Rassen sighed before walking over to her and turned to face the offending chair. "I know how important this is to you," he began, "but sometimes you cannot simply achieve something before it is time. As I've mentioned before, it normally takes years of training to use the Force, and so far you have managed-"

"I know!" Shaela fumed, cutting off the human before turning to face him. "But how does that help us now? We leave tomorrow and the two of you can do all of these incredible things. All I've done so far is find you and be so unimportant that Zaressh didn't notice me last time. How do we even know that he missed me because of the Force? Maybe I'm just so out of my depth with Jedi and Sith and everything else that-"

* * *

Rassen let Shaela vent, staring at the quarian sadly as he watched her do so. This was all so difficult for her to accept. Her excitement upon first learning about the existence of the Force and subsequent disappointment at finding out that it was almost certain that she couldn't learn how to use it. Her denial when he had later told her that he thought she could. The way that she had struggled to tell him how she felt about him and her disbelief when he had told her that he felt the same way. For whatever reason, Shaela didn't feel like she deserved everything that she had gained since they had met.

"Enough," he said, calmly but firmly. Shaela cut off mid-sentence, surprised at his interruption. He stepped closer to the quarian. "Stop doubting yourself."

"But I-"

"Stop. Doubting. Yourself."

"Rassen-"

"Why do you always feel like you are so unworthy?"

The light in front of Shaela's mouth glowed blue as she tried to respond, before fading as she struggled to find the right words. Eventually she managed. "It's just that I'm… and you're… and this… I don't… I just don't…" The quarian hung her head in despair.

"You're wrong on every count, Shaela." Seeing the quarian's head snap up in surprise, Rassen decided to elaborate. "You are much more than how you see yourself. I do not belong on the pedestal that you seem to have placed me on, and this, us is indeed overwhelming. But I feel the same way about you as you do me remember?" He smirked at the surprise that he could feel emanating from the woman opposite him. "Did that cover everything or do I need to elaborate?"

Shaela tried to protest. "But Rassen, I-"

"You," he said firmly, looking directly into Shaela's eyes, "may well be the best person I've ever met. You, Shaela'Tole nar Kilal, are brave, determined, kind and intelligent among so many other things. I despite what you seem to believe, have far more flaws than you do. I can be impatient, over-confident and even selfish on occasion. Finally, there is still time for you to leave all of this behind if that is what you want." That last sentence had to be forced out, but Rassen made himself continue. "If… if this has become too much for you… if you want to leave then I won't try to stop you. You shouldn't be a part of this because you feel that you have some kind of obligation-"

"Rassen." Now it was his turn to be cut off. "I know that I don't have to be here, but I want to be."Shaela trailed off before looking at him hopefully. "Did you really mean the part before, about me I mean?"

"Every word of it."

The quarian glanced down at herself before looking back up at him, her silver eyes finding his blue. "But… I'm just me."

Rassen smiled at that. "As I have already said," he replied, "that is all you need to be."

"I-… okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good."

Shaela stepped forward and gently embraced him. "When this is all over," she began hesitantly, "if you… if you're willing then… then I'd like to show you something."

Rassen gently caressed where her cheek would have been if not for her helmet, tracing a finger along where Shaela's visor joined the unpainted metal that covered her jaw. "What kind of something?" He asked gently.

Shaela shuddered slightly at the affection and stepped closer, gently running one of her own fingers across the side of his face in return. "Among quarians," she began, "owing to our immune systems, one of the most personal things that we can do for one another is let that person see our face. This is something that is almost always exclusive to close family members such as parents and siblings, and also… other halves." The quarian repeated the motion with her hand down the other side of his face. "You make me feel like more than what I think I am, Rassen. You've shown me how to be more and I'm sorry about snapping at you. When this is over I can get some advice from my parents about how to remove my visor safely and show you what's underneath this stupid helmet."

Rassen had to swallow a lump in his throat before replying. "I-I would like nothing more, Shaela," he began, "but I don't want you to feel like it is something that you have to do."

Shaela gently pulled his head down before pressing the area where her lips would be against his own. After holding that position for a moment, the quarian then slowly pulled back. "I know that it isn't something that I have to do," she whispered, "but it's something I want to do."

* * *

Rassen awoke with a cold feeling of dread in his stomach. Today was the day. It had all been leading to this.

Today was the day that he and Shaela went to Querra.

Despite his best efforts, he still had no idea what had caused Zaressh to head to that particular world. Whatever it was though, he and Shaela would find out soon enough. The quarian had tried to contact her family late last night, but had been unable to establish a connection. It appeared that the Migrant Fleet was once again out of range of a comm buoy. She had recorded a short message telling them that she loved them and if that if they were receiving it then they would never be able to see her again. The quarian had managed to hold herself together long enough to end the recording and set it to send automatically via her terminal after a week, unless she cancelled it before then. Shaela had then broken down into hysterics and he had moved from where he had been sitting silently to comfort her.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" He had asked. He knew by now what her answer would be, but he still had to hear her say it.

"Yes," Shaela had replied through her tears. "I've come this far and I'm not going to let that bastard Sith hurt you like he did last time, Rassen. We'll stop him and whatever he has planned. Maybe they'll build a statue of us somewhere."

"I'm not sure that anyone here would believe us, Shaela. Personally I'd quite like some peace and quiet after the last few weeks. Once this is done we can go somewhere safer to look for a suitable Pilgrimage gift. That would be a nice change of pace."

Shaela had fallen asleep soon after as she was so tired, clinging onto him desperately. Having carried her to her room, Rassen had attempted to release the quarian, only to find that her grip on him was so strong that he couldn't break it without waking her. He had debated for a while whether or not to do so and then head to his own room, before deciding to stay with her. He just about remembered watching the quarian as she slept, her body rigid as she clung to him. He had started rubbing circles soothingly on her back and Shaela had slowly relaxed, sighing contently though she still slept soundly. He had fallen asleep soon after, despite his own concerns and fears. Somehow being close to the quarian relaxed him in a way he didn't quite understand.

Of course, waking and knowing that they were beginning their pursuit today had rather ruined the peace of the previous night.

Reluctantly, Rassen gently nudged the quarian who lay next to him, prompting Shaela to growl slightly and grip onto him more tightly. It seemed that the Force had conspired to throw an obstacle in his way even before he had left the apartment, how typical.

"Shaela, come on we need to get up." Upon there being no response from the slumbering quarian, Rassen pulled gently but firmly on the hands that still held onto him, causing Shaela to blearily open her eyes as she woke up. She yawned quietly before trying to stretch and noticed that both of her hands were latched onto him, once onto his chest plate and one onto his right arm. Shaela glanced at her hands in confusion, then at him, then at her hands again and finally at the room around them. Upon noticing where they were, the quarian looked away in embarrassment.

"What, um, happened?" Shaela asked meekly, refusing to look at him, her grip remaining as strong as ever.

"You fell asleep while holding onto me and I couldn't dislodge your grip without waking you… so here we are," Rassen replied, gesturing awkwardly with his free arm at the room around them, not that is was much to look at. The same rusty brown metal as the rest of Omega dominated the walls, floor and ceiling, the only other features of the small room being the bed and terminal that sat on the floor next to it. "How are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

Shaela took a moment to respond. "Scared, but ready. It feels like everything has been leading to this since we first met."

"Is there anything that you want to do before we leave? These might be the last few hours that either of us spends on Omega."

The quarian shook her head. "No. I've recorded the message for my family. We have everything that we need don't we?"

Rassen nodded. "Yes, food and water for emergencies, our respective equipment and enough credits to make the flight and have a small sum left over. Was there anything else?"

"Each other."

"Hmm… well you're certainly here." Rassen glanced down at the quarian's hands, which still held onto him. "And you're not letting me forget it."

Shaela released him, looking away in embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered quietly, "it's a quarian thing. We can sometimes, only if we care deeply about a person, um… hold onto them even when we're sleeping. It's called the _Palisoi'Jalo_."

"Your omni-tool must be acting up, that last part didn't translate properly." Rassen, for quite possibly the millionth time since his own omni-tool had been destroyed, thanked the Force profoundly for how Shaela had managed to take better care of her own device. Without it (and her being present) he would not have been able to communicate with anyone after Zaressh's lightning attack had rendered his own device useless. The omni-tool still amazed him as a piece of technology, its range of functions was simply astonishing.

"I'm not sure that there's a translation for the term." Shaela was still speaking quietly and refused to make eye contact. "It means… well the closest meaning that I can think off is um, ah…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, no it means… um, 'Lover's Grip'," Shaela finished awkwardly.

"Is that it?" Rassen asked incredulously.

Shaela looked taken aback by his response. "I thought that you might… I mean because we only told each other a week ago… and things have been going so well since then between us…" The quarian seemed to calm slightly as he gently hugged her. "It doesn't bother you?"

"No. I'm gripping you now, aren't I?"

"That's true," Shaela snuggled closer to him. The quarian then sighed sadly. "We have to get up soon don't we?"

Rassen sighed in return. "Yes, unfortunately."

Shaela looked up at him pleadingly. "Ten minutes?"

Rassen hesitated for a moment before gently kissing her mouthpiece. "Ten minutes."

* * *

Rassen glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Everything was ready. The food and water that they were bringing was packed in a bag on Shaela's bed, along with her terminal. The quarian's pistol was attached to her hip while his lightsaber hung from its traditional place on his belt. He had decided not to bring his two rifles. Shaela might well be able to ambush Zaressh with her own weapon if the Sith was focused on him, but Rassen knew that the only reason he had been successful with his was because the Sith had underestimated it. That ruled out his M-8 Avenger as a useful weapon and as for his blaster rifle… the less said about trying to use that against Zaressh the better. Nonetheless, if it were to fall into the wrong hands then there was the very real possibility that it could be reverse engineered and manufactured by a criminal element, such as Aria. A quick trip to a nearby incinerator had ensured that would never happen. The Avenger he had sold to the salarian that he had first bought it from, whose name he had forgotten and somewhat rudely not bothered to ask for a reminder about. He wasn't too bothered though, he doubted that the man remembered his name either. That had given him and Shaela a few hundred extra credits owing to the modifications he had made. Money wouldn't be a problem over the next few days at least.

Rassen gently ran a hand over his jaw. He had always found that a good way to deal with apprehension was to develop a routine to counter-act it. His preferred one was to carefully shave his face after washing while repeating the Jedi Code. A little odd to be sure, but it still seemed to work… even if a part of the Code no longer seemed to apply to him.

Everything was ready. It was time.

Rassen calmly placed his mask over his face before tightening the straps and raising his hood over the top of his head. He then ensured that his lightsaber was concealed but still easily reachable. Finally, he ran his eyes critically over the man who stood facing him, the latter staring back, giving off no signs of the turmoil that Rassen himself felt despite having gone through his routine. The flight was due to leave soon, there was no point lingering any longer.

He left the bathroom and stopped at Shaela's door before knocking, the quarian answering a moment later, the bag slung over one shoulder. She wordlessly reached out with a hand, taking one of his own and entwining their fingers. Nothing needed to be said. The two of them silently left the apartment before proceeding in the direction of the hanger, ignoring the surprised stares of some of the station's other residents.

* * *

Grizz swallowed down his fear as he approached Aria, the latter turning casually to face him as he drew closer. The human and quarian were in the process of leaving and she had told him to inform her when they did so. Personally he was glad to see them go; he still had a headache from trying to figure out what exactly had been used to carve that message into the wall several levels below. Perhaps now the boss would give him something simpler to do.

The turian cleared his throat. "Voratt and the Quarian are heading in the direction of the hangers. It looks like they're boarding the flight to Querra after all."

Aria leaned back into the plush leather of her couch before responding. "That's to be expected. Voratt is a terrible liar, but excellent at telling the truth."

Grizz frowned at that. "What?" He asked, feeling a stab of anger at the eye roll that Aria then sent in his direction.

"He asked about the nearest flight to the colony and he's getting on it. Bringing along his little quarian friend too, though that's hardly surprising. Live long enough Grizz, and you learn to see things." The asari waved a hand dismissively and Grizz turned away and headed for the stairs. Upon reaching them though, the turian paused and turned back to face his employer, who looked at him in curiosity.

"I still don't get it. Why help the two of them?"

Aria smirked at him and rose from where she was sitting to stand at the edge of her alcove. The asari gazed down at the melting pot of members of different races below her. People were drinking, partying, arguing, and doing Red Sand; just to name a few of the activities that she could spot. She waved him over and Grizz slowly approached, looking curiously at the wide variety of people below the two of them.

"You don't get to run this by fighting everyone who is a threat, Grizz. Heroes, warriors, whatever you want to call them, they all bite off more than they can chew in the end. That's what kills them. It's normally much better to direct one enemy against another than it is to try and deal with them all yourself."

Grizz nodded, starting to see the full picture. There was still one part of the puzzle that he wasn't getting though. "But that other one though," he began, "the other one with the mask-"

"All three of them wear masks Grizz," Aria said condescendingly, like she was speaking to a child. "The quarian because she has to, Voratt because he chooses to and the other one… hmm, well presumably for intimidation." She turned away from where she had been looking to face him. "You took the photo of him on your omni-tool; remind me what you told me you felt?"

Grizz shivered at the memory, his subharmonics further revealing his fear as he answered. "When that… human or whatever he was looked at me… I-I felt cold. Almost like I was a child again scared of the dark. I've never felt more relief than when he looked away from me and walked off to spirits know where."

Aria nodded. "He's gone now and Voratt and his girlfriend will deal with him so that he never comes back. Perhaps they'll slaughter each other… that would be ideal." The asari leisurely sat back down on the couch before continuing. "Regardless, they're all off the station and I don't have to send anyone to deal with any of them."

Grizz was smart enough to pick up on the implied meaning. 'Anyone' in this case probably referred to him as well as some of Aria's other employees. "Very, ah… well-handled then," he said diplomatically, not liking the glint in Aria's eye that had just appeared, "but how did you know where the first one went? I mean he stole a ship and could have gone anywhere, but how did you know he went to Querra?"

The asari's predatory smirk reminded him unpleasantly of a varren that had cornered its wounded prey. "Omega isn't the only place in the Terminus Systems where I have eyes and ears, Grizz. The ship that was taken was only a small one, meaning that Voratt's friend wasn't likely to go far. A quick notification to one agent at each colony in the area ensured that when a ship of the same model and name appeared I knew exactly where it was."

Grizz was impressed. "So you let the first one go so that you could get the other two to leave as well?"

Aria smirked again. "Brute force isn't the best way to handle every problem. If you don't believe me then go and talk to the Patriarch." The asari waved her hand again and Grizz nodded even as she turned away, before leaving the Pirate Queen of Omega to her thoughts.

* * *

Rassen appraised the vehicle with a critical eye. The transport ship was certainly an ugly looking thing. The cockpit was attached to the long and slender spine of the ship, which terminated at the other end with the engine, a tall tail-fin sitting just above it. That in itself wasn't the ugly part though. If the cockpit and engine formed the head and tail of the ship, then the three bulky passenger compartments that jutted out from the gap between them horizontally were. There was a narrow gap between each one, presumably so that each compartment could be removed for maintenance. The ungainly craft was painted in varying tones of grey, though the lack of rust certainly was a welcome change from the colour scheme of Omega. Clearly whoever it was that owned the vehicle took pains to look after it, which was at least somewhat reassuring.

After Shaela flashed her omni-tool to a human guard who stood vigil outside one of the open doorways, the two of them boarded the ship. The inside was much the same as the exterior, being designed for utility rather than appearance. The seats were made of the same kind of cheap plasteel equivalent as those on Omega itself, clustered together tightly in rows. Shaela gently pulled him by the hand and the two of them sat near the back corner of what Rassen assumed was the first compartment. There were only a few other passengers currently on board in this area. It seemed like Querra was not a particularly popular destination. Unsurprising given that it was only a small colony.

"How long until we set off?" He asked.

Shaela checked her omni-tool. "Only a few minutes," the quarian replied, taking his hand in hers again and resting them on one of her knees once she had done so. "The flight itself should only take a few hours. It takes a while to get to the mass relay, but that will take us almost instantaneously to the Ulseusa System. Once we've left that system's relay then it's another couple of hours to Querra including landing."

"Are you comfortable?"

Shaela gently rested her head against his shoulder, causing Rassen to smile as the quarian closed her eyes. "I am now," she replied.

"Get some sleep then," Rassen told her, adjusting his posture so that he could put his arm around her more easily. A noise of disapproval caused him to glance down at her, but Shaela appeared to have drifted off already. Rassen frowned and glanced up to see that a salarian was looking at the two of them with open disgust. Rassen returned the glare with one of his own, his mask rendering his expression unreadable as he looked straight into the man's eyes. After a moment of awkward silence, the salarian looked away, swallowing nervously as he did so. Rassen couldn't resist smirking a little at seeing that.

There was a slight vibration as the clamps attached to the ship suddenly began retracting and the voice of the turian pilot began to inform the passengers that their departure had begun. Rassen felt a slight thrill of both excitement and nervousness as the ship exited the hanger and began to pull away from Omega. After so many weeks aboard the station, he was finally leaving. The station had given him plenty of memories, both good and bad. Fortunately though, he was bringing the source of the good ones with him.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Well this chapter didn't take long to get out. I blame the encouragement I got after my last chapter entirely. Thank you to those who have reviewed, added this story to their favourites or become followers, as always. Speaking of which:**

 **Reviews are as follows:**

 **Kasharo: Thank you very much! I'll try to.**

 **Bob: And I'm loving writing it. I'll continue to do my best!**

 **Bob (again): I know the exact feeling. I wanted to really try and sell their relationship though and not have it come out of nowhere. I think (hope) that I managed to do so without dragging it out for too long. I didn't want to do the opposite and rush it as in my personal opinion that can be as bad as spending too much time on something.**

 **As always I greatly appreciate all feedback. It's a pleasure to know what other people think of what I upload to the site.**

 **Chapter 17: The Colony**

"Shaela? Shaela, wake up."

The quarian slowly opened her eyes at the sound of Rassen's voice, sitting upright as she did so. She gently stretched out her arms, wincing at several clicking noises that followed. Shaela looked around to see that the handful of other passengers in their compartment were in the process of leaving. She noticed that a lone salarian was in more of a rush than the others, but dismissed it.

"We're here, aren't we?" She asked, looking at Rassen for confirmation. She had already guessed that they were of course, but for some reason still felt compelled to ask. The human nodded in response as he got to his feet, shouldering their bag as he did so. She tried to do the same only to stagger slightly, the last vestiges of sleep still lingering. Rassen reached out to gently steady her and she smiled at him in thanks. She knew that he could see it.

The two of them made their way through the interior of the compartment before exiting the ship and finding themselves in the hanger where it had landed. Following the other passengers, the two of them then joined the line that formed as a bored looking human woman began scanning each person individually before allowing them to leave.

Shaela glanced back at Rassen worriedly. "Lightsaber," she whispered, indicating the woman who despite her obvious disinterest, had made her way through a quarter of the line already, owing to there only being a small number of passengers. They would likely get into no trouble because of her pistol, given that Querra was a small colony. Everyone was expected to fend for themselves in a place like this, owing to the lack of a proper police force. Rassen's armour would probably be allowed too, since although it wouldn't match any known designs, custom-made armour was common in the Terminus Systems. The omni-tool scan might pick up on whatever powered his lightsaber though and that might well be enough to see the two of them detained. Add in the fact that she was a quarian and that could be for a while. Shaela had no doubts that the two of them could get away before that happened, but doing so would attract the kind of attention neither of them wanted.

Rassen nodded slowly in response to her warning; clearly trying to think of an excuse should he need one. The line continued to move steadily and within only a few moments, the woman was in front of Shaela, running her omni-tool over her with one casual movement. The quarian nodded politely to the woman before moving to follow the last person to be scanned, only to be stopped by the woman reaching out and grabbing her shoulder.

"You don't have anything in your suit pockets, do you?"

Shaela fought down the stab of anger that appeared. "No, ma'am," she responded politely, "I only have my pistol."

The woman continued to press her. "What about that then? Did you steal the gun?"

It was getting harder and harder to patient with the human in front of her. "No. If you must know it was a gift from my father, a going away present."

"Hmm, don't want to take a risk with one of you, dear. The boss will give me hell if you get caught stealing something while you're here." The woman activated her omni-tool, clearly about to call someone to come and escort her away. Out of the corner of her eye, Shaela noticed that Rassen was about to step round her and motioned for him to remain where he was.

"No, you really don't need to do that," she told the woman in front of her, fighting to keep calm. The people behind her and Rassen in the line were beginning to become suspicious, whispering to each other in low voices and shooting angry glances in her direction. "I'm just passing through with my friend, this is unnecessary, really!"

The woman froze, omni-tool still activated before she shook her head slightly. "You know what," she said, "since you're just passing through, all of this is unnecessary. You and your friend can go."

Shaela breathed a sigh of relief before quickly walking past the woman, Rassen soon catching up and walking next to her. She looked behind them to see the human carrying on with her job, seeming to have completely forgotten about calling for someone to come and detain her.

Shaela lost sight of the woman as she and Rassen left the hanger and turned right into a wide corridor. After walking for a minute or so, the two of them exited that as well and now stood outside. The colony was mostly obscured by the darkness of Querra's night-cycle. Through the gloom, Shaela's eyes could vaguely make out the shapes of two other hangers alongside the one they had just left. It seemed that with the colony being so small, it only had the capacity for a few ships at once. Presumably those other two were for the cargo freighters that transported the minerals off-world once they had been mined. That also explained the lack of an arrivals area; there wasn't enough traffic to warrant one.

Shaela stopped walking once they had gone a hundred or so metres from the hanger and turned to face Rassen. "I just used the Force on her didn't I?" She asked, feeling some excitement but also a large amount of guilt. She remembered well what it felt like to have the Force used on someone in such a way. There was a pleasant feeling to the sensation, the kind that you got when having a dream almost. But throughout it all, she had felt a nagging sensation that something was wrong in the back of her mind. As much as it had solved the problem, the knowledge that she had manipulated the security woman still sat uneasily with her.

Rassen clearly remembered when he had used the Force on her too, as he turned to face away from her as he replied. "Yes," the Jedi said quietly, clearly still feeling considerable guilt himself. "She'll be absolutely fine and will probably put it down to having an off-day or a co-worker spiking her drink or something like that. But yes, you did use the Force to persuade her."

"Rassen, it's okay," she murmured, stepping round the human to stand in front of him. "You know that I've forgiven you for that. Besides, I know why you did it… even if it was a stupid thing to do. Promise me you'll forget about it?"

"I-… yes Shaela, fine."

"Good," she said with a smile, taking one of the human's hands in hers. She changed the subject. "Given that it's late and we don't know where Zaressh could be, where do we start?"

Rassen thought for a moment. "He won't be in the colony. While he could conceivably be trying to hide his presence, I would be able to sense him, given that this place is so small compared with Omega. Anyway, if whatever he came here for was here then it would surely have been discovered by now. He spent plenty of time on Omega just toying with me instead of trying to kill me so he could travel here as soon as possible. No, whatever he wants, it is safe to say that it is not within the colony or the mines just below it. The problem is that there are no other settlements on the planet. That means that while he is outside the colony somewhere, I don't have the slightest idea where he could have gone."

Shaela shook her head. "Me neither."

Rassen shrugged. "Some things are universal to both galaxies it seems." He pointed past her and Shaela turned around, confusion rising as she saw that the Jedi was indicating a pair of drunk humans who were leaning on each other for support. "I've seen enough to know that bars are an excellent place to pick up information, provided that you ask around. A colony of this size cannot have many of them. That is probably our best chance for finding a lead."

* * *

As it turned out, the colony only had one bar. It was a small and dimly lit building near the western edge of the settlement. The two of them would have walked straight past it if they hadn't asked for directions from a passing turian. The young woman had looked at the two of them in surprise, before telling them what to watch out for and gesturing in the right direction with a talon. Rassen reached the building first and entered it, the smell of strong alcohol and other… less pleasant aromas reaching him despite the mask he still wore. Shaela likewise noticed the smell, if her noise of disgust was of any indication.

While the locals didn't appear completely hostile towards them, they hardly seemed welcoming either. The suspicious glances in their direction quickly turned to disinterest though, the people preferring to return to their drinks rather than devote too much of their attention to the human and quarian who had just entered.

Most of the people present were turians, which wasn't surprising. Querra was one of a number of dextro acid worlds, meaning that what little life existed was better suited for turian and quarian colonists than it was for those from most other races. Given that quarians were rarely seen outside of the Flotilla unless on their Pilgrimage… well that explained why there were so few members of the other races present. Rassen gently nudged Shaela before indicating an elderly turian who was quietly nursing his drink. The two of them slowly approached him, and Rassen coughed politely to get the man's attention.

"Excuse me, sir," he began, "I know that this may sound strange, but have you seen anyone unusual arrive at this colony. Not much more than a week ago perhaps?"

The turian grunted in response. "Aside from the two of you, you mean?" He ran his eyes over the human in front of him and then over Shaela. Scowling, the man shifted his attention back to Rassen. "I just work at one of the mines, human. Let me drink in peace."

Rassen frowned slightly. While he didn't want to antagonise the man, if the turian did know something then they couldn't simply give up at the first sign of resistance. "I know that we are intruding," the Jedi replied diplomatically, "but I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. We believe that a highly dangerous individual is on this world, but not in the colony itself. Is there anywhere else where he could be that you know of?"

The turian raised a brow plate, one mandible quivering slightly. "No. If whoever you're looking for is a threat to anyone here then I wish you luck, but you're wasting your time with me, human." The man went to turn away, but Shaela spoke up before he could.

"Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?" The quarian asked. "Has anyone that you know been acting differently than usual, in any way at all?" Rassen winced slightly at the question, though he had to admit that it was a good one. Zaressh could have used the Force to manipulate anyone he had encountered into forgetting that they had seen him. Given that Shaela had felt the effects of Force manipulation more recently than he had; it seemed that the quarian had arrived at that conclusion first.

The turian was clearly growing irritated with their questions. "No," he replied shortly. "Now are the two of you going to leave me alone or not? I have a shift tomorrow morning and I'd like to enjoy what free time I have."

Rassen nodded to the man before he and Shaela began walking towards another patron, this one a salarian. Before they could get his attention though, a voice called out to them quietly but firmly from near the closest wall. Rassen glanced over to Shaela, who nodded very slightly. The two of them walked over to where the voice had originated from to see a human woman, who looked to be relatively young, sitting on her own at a booth next to the wall in question. The woman glanced up from her drink, a strange red concoction of some kind Rassen noted, before gesturing with her head for the two of them to sit opposite her, blonde tresses swaying with the motion. Rassen did so, shuffling along to the far side of the booth to allow Shaela to sit next to him.

The woman returned to examining her drink for a moment before looking at them again. "I overheard you talking to old Myanros over there," she began, tilting her head in the direction of the turian they had spoken to. "You mentioned that you were looking for anything out of the ordinary?"

Shaela nodded from her position next to him. "Yes, has anyone here acted differently during the last week or week and a half?" She asked.

The woman glanced at Shaela briefly before returning her attention to him. Rassen felt Shaela bristle slightly at the woman's dismissive attitude towards her and spoke before she could upset the quarian further. "Yes," he prompted. "Do you know of anything like that?"

The stranger nodded. "I thought it was strange at the time, but had almost forgotten about it until you came in here and started asking questions. I remember feeling very out of sorts briefly just over a week ago. It felt almost like one of those off-days, you know? Like I wasn't entirely myself, but it was only for a moment."

Rassen glanced at Shaela out of the corner of his eye. One of those off-days. The same explanation he had given her as to how the security woman at the spaceport would likely rationalise Shaela's use of the Force on her. "Where were you at the time?" He asked curiously.

"I'd just gotten back from my shift at one of the mines," she replied. "I was heading here like I do every evening and then I remember feeling… really kind of bored with just about everything. It passed pretty quickly though and I've been fine ever since." The woman looked at him for an answer. "Is that the kind of thing you're looking for?"

"That is it exactly," Rassen nodded. "The man the two of us are after has the ability to manipulate people into forgetting that they have seen him. It sounds like you encountered one another and he used that ability on you."

The woman looked at him fearfully. "Am I going to be okay?" She asked. "I don't feel any different now."

"You will be fine ma'am, it is a short term thing, nothing more." Seeing the woman calm down at his reassurance, Rassen gently pressed for more information. "You mentioned that you felt bored, does that mean that you weren't paying attention to your surroundings?"

"No, I suppose I wasn't."

"I need you to try and remember. This man has to be stopped. Please think back to the last moment before you felt that boredom. You were on your way to this bar and then what happened?"

The woman closed her eyes, retracing her steps. "I… saw… something, I don't… don't know…"

"That thing that you saw. I would like you to imagine that it was someone dressed similarly to me. However, everything is in black except for the mask, which also features red and grey areas. Does that sound like it could have been it?"

"I… I remember… something," she said slowly. "A… a man, in armour and a cloak. He… he blended in almost perfectly with the night. He was walking towards me…"

"Where were you exactly at the time?" Shaela asked.

"I was… at the northern edge of the colony. The mine where I normally work is located there. I was heading south to reach the path that leads here." The woman opened her eyes. "Whoever he was, he must have walked straight past me after doing… whatever he did."

"He went north?" Rassen asked. "On foot?"

"On foot," the woman replied. "He looked injured; one foot was dragging behind the other." She shuddered at the newly uncovered memory. "I know that it must sound strange, but he felt… wrong. There was this coldness to the air that hadn't been there before when he appeared." She glanced at him fearfully. "Whatever he is, can you stop him?"

Shaela spoke up before he could. "That's why we came."

The woman finally seemed to take proper notice of the quarian that sat next to him. "Good," she said in relief, "that's good to hear."

* * *

The two of them exited the bar soon after, emerging back into the darkness of the colony. Rassen took a deep breath to steady himself while he considered their next move. Zaressh had gone north, on foot no less. Given that he was injured, the Sith could not be more than a few days away at best, even though he had a head start of more than a week. He looked over at Shaela to see the quarian humming as she thought.

"What do you think?" He asked her.

Shaela turned to face him. "Zaressh can't be far away. Since it's dark now I guess we should find somewhere to sleep. We could then head off first thing in the morning, since we've got our emergency food." The quarian patted the bag that Rassen still held over one shoulder. "How about you?"

Rassen nodded his head. "Zaressh went on foot, which rules out there being any transports not related to moving whatever is mined beneath the colony. Catching up to him shouldn't take long now that we know which direction he has gone in. Whatever he is looking for, he logically will have gone in a relatively straight line to get there… your plan is the best route to take."

"So we'll find somewhere to sleep and then set off in the morning?"

He nodded again in reply before starting to walk off, taking the quarian's hand and gently pulling her along as he did so, which earned him a smile if the look in Shaela's eyes was of any indication.

* * *

"That will be one-hundred credits for the night, unless the two of you would prefer a room each," the middle-aged turian behind the counter said, smiling warmly at the two of them.

Shaela blushed as the woman's knowing gaze landed on her and Rassen's interlocked hands, before looking at the human as he gently squeezed to get her attention. Her blush only grew fiercer as he turned to her.

"I don't mind sharing with you Shaela, but if you would prefer then we can have separate rooms."

The receptionist was openly grinning at the two of them now; mandibles spread wide open in enjoyment. Shaela swallowed nervously before replying. "I-… it seems like it would be a waste of money to get separate rooms," she responded, "so no, I don't mind sharing."

"Are you sure?"

Despite her embarrassment, Shaela was touched by Rassen's thoughtfulness. "I'm sure," she murmured quietly, only to jump as the receptionist butted in.

"Excellent!" Crowed the turian, who seemingly didn't care that she had only managed to rent out one room instead of two. She quickly typed something into the terminal in front of her, before then asking them for the required sum. Cheeks still flaming, not that anyone could see, Shaela stepped forward and activated her omni-tool, transferring the one-hundred credits over in exchange for the access code to the room's door. As she deactivated the device, Shaela could have sworn that the woman winked at her before rising from her seat, stepping round her desk, and then gesturing for the two of them to follow her. Shaela shook her head before following the receptionist, Rassen bringing up the rear.

After going up several sets of stairs, the turian stopped outside their destination. "Ah, here we are," she announced, opening the door for the two of them. "Room eighty-seven." She turned away from the now open door and Shaela blushed again at the sight in front of her. The receptionist followed her gaze and smirked at the object that had caused it.

"The double-bed is included at no extra charge over two singles. Have a pleasant night." The turian then headed for the stairs, making a quiet noise that Shaela could have sworn was satisfied laughter.

Rassen seemed as embarrassed as she felt. "Right, ah, we can work something else out if this makes you uncomfortable, Shaela. I can sleep on the floor, or-"

"No, no, it's okay," she responded, feeling a little reassured that Rassen had been as caught off-guard as she was. "It was fine when we did this before wasn't it?"

"My right arm still begs to differ."

"Bosh'tet."

* * *

Dawn's first light woke Rassen, the Jedi stretching out slightly as he became more aware of his surroundings. Blinking away the feeling of sleepiness that lingered, he looked down at the sound of gentle breathing. Shaela was sprawled over his right side, one arm stretched possessively over his mid-section. One of his own arms rested around the quarian's shoulders, holding the two of them against one another. Shaela looked more peaceful than she had the night before they had left Omega, but there was still tension in the way in which she was holding him, almost as if she were afraid that he would disappear.

The smooth rubber-like material of her enviro-suit seemed to radiate a warmth that he could feel despite the armour he wore from where it pressed against him. The smoothness contrasted with the coarse feeling of the faded blue pieces of fabric that decorated it, such as Shaela's hood, which was brushing against the underside of his chin. Despite the tension that radiated from the quarian who half lay on top of him, Rassen felt like he could stay there forever. Unfortunately though, he knew that wasn't the case.

The Jedi gently nudged the quarian, slowing coaxing her awake. Shaela's eyes fluttered open behind her mask, the quarian yawning loudly as she awoke. "Mmm, sorry," she murmured as she attempted to roll off him, only to be stopped as Rassen maintained his grip on her shoulders. Shaela glanced at him in confusion before he leaned forward, gently kissing the quarian's mouthpiece. Shaela sighed in contentment before lifting the arm that had been across his chest to cup the back of his neck, holding him against her. The quarian broke the kiss first, gently caressing the side of his face as she did so. Rassen smiled at her, leaning forward to press his forehead against her visor.

"I could get used to you waking me up," Shaela remarked, her silver eyes looking deeply into his own. "Much better than the sound of a barely-functioning ship part on the Flotilla or a gunshot on Omega."

Rassen smirked. "I think I could get used to it too," he replied, running a finger around the blinking light in front of her mouth. He felt his mood shift as he remembered why he had awoken. The Jedi glanced at the dim light that had begun to fill the room before looking back at the woman he held in his arms.

Shaela nodded in understanding, sighing unhappily before climbing off him and sliding off the bed. The quarian stretched, rising onto the tips of her toes before moving to rummage through their bag, which he had left by the bed the night before. Rassen also climbed out of the bed, taking the packet of food paste that Shaela offered him with a smile as the quarian attached a tube to her mask. The two of them ate in silence, just being content to enjoy the other's company. When they had finished, Rassen reattached his mask from when he had taken it off before sleeping at her request and the two of them headed downstairs.

"Was the room to your satisfaction?" The receptionist asked as the two of them arrived back at her desk. It was the same turian as when they had rented the room. Presumably she ran the desk from night to very early morning.

Rassen nodded. "Yes, thank you," he responded politely.

The woman's wide smile made its return as she waved away his thanks. "It was my pleasure, young man. You don't see many interspecies couples… well outside of ones including asari of course. Sometimes I think that if there were more then there would be less suspicion in this galaxy. Bah, you don't want to listen to me ramble on."

Rassen was about to say goodbye to her when Shaela spoke up. "I'm surprised that you approve," she said curiously, "most turians I've met don't really like humans and they hate quarians especially."

The receptionist made a scoffing noise in response. "The war with the humans was decades ago, we all have to move on at some point. As for the quarians… regardless of whose fault the situation with the geth was, that was centuries ago. How many generations have there been since then for most races? After all of my years in this galaxy I'm just happy to see that you youngsters are open-minded enough to care about those outside of your own species." At this the turian leaned forward, eyes boring deeply into Rassen's despite the mask between them. He blinked in surprise at the intensity of her gaze.

"From the look of you you've been in more than your share of scrapes, young man. You take care of her, you hear me?"

 _Thugs, crime lords and a Sith… yet in her own way this woman is more intimidating than any of them._

"Yes ma'am," he responded, feeling like a Republic soldier he had once seen getting berated by her drill-sergeant. "A lot of the time though I feel like she's the one taking care of me."

The receptionist huffed at that. "As it should be then. The two of you look after each other." Thanking her again, the two of them left the hotel, stepping out into Querra's morning sunlight for the first time.

* * *

Without the darkness of night covering everything, Shaela could finally see the colony properly. The buildings were all short and squat, having been built to endure for long periods of time with minimal maintenance. Despite being made of metal, they were all the same ugly tone of grey as the ground they stood on. Shaela examined the ground in question. The rock beneath her feet was smoother than she would have at first expected, presumably having been flattened by the original colonists so they could construct the buildings in the area. Looking past the buildings themselves, she could see that the colony was situated in the gap between two large hills of the same grey stone on two sides.

"Zaressh could have picked somewhere more aesthetically pleasing to go to," she heard Rassen joke from next to her, the Jedi likewise having picked up on the fact that the colour grey was everywhere, with there being no real variety of any kind.

"If only he had," she remarked, activating her omni-tool as she did so. She glanced up at the human next to her. "North is this way," she indicated with her free hand. "Do we still have everything?"

Rassen nodded to her, the bag of food and water hanging from one shoulder. "We do. Are you ready to do this? I know that I've said it before, but this time I feel like this really is the last chance you'll get to walk away."

Shaela shook her head, stepping closer to Rassen as she did so. "Then this is the last time I need to tell you that I'm with you until the end." She turned away from him to face the direction they needed to go. "Now Zaressh is only going to increase his lead if we stand here, assuming that he hasn't found what he wants already. So…"

She could hear the human's smile in his voice as he replied. "After you, Miss Tole."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Reviews are as follows:**

 **Kasharo: Thank you once again for your support.**

 **Bob: That's a fair point. Rassen could have attracted some degree of attention from outside forces but given that his exploits were confined to Omega until recently, I'd argue that very few would take them seriously. He's been in a few fights and that's about it. There is a lot going on in the wider galaxy at this point anyway. Cerberus is concerned about the Reapers and the Shadow Broker has Liara to contend with. There are other groups like the STG of course, but in the games it is the former two that play the biggest role and presumably have the greatest resources. The influence of Rassen and Shaela's time on Omega will likely be expanded on in the possible sequel (just writing that feels weird) but I think that including it in this story would have wrecked the pacing, which some people have already said is something that I need to work on. Thank you again for leaving a review and for your encouragement so far.**

 **Chapter 18: The Trail**

"Are we still on track?" Shaela asked, looking at Rassen for confirmation. The Jedi Knight would often halt their progress in order to focus and search for any sign that Zaressh had passed through the area through the Force. The human didn't answer her for a moment, head bowed as he sat on the ground cross-legged in contemplation. They had left the colony three days ago and a couple of hours of walking later, Rassen had suddenly announced that he wanted to check that they were still on Zaressh's trail. Given that Querra's surface was comprised almost entirely of grey rock, that was easier said than done. The Sith had left no footprints behind, owing to the substance that made up the planet's surface being so unyielding and there was so little plant life that he could have easily avoided disturbing any of it.

She had tried to locate any traces of the Sith as well, but while she could still reach out to the Force as easily as ever, using it still seemed a stretch too far for her… well aside from when she had inadvertently used it to persuade the security woman back at the hanger. As a result, Shaela had taken to watching out for any signs of danger while Rassen was otherwise distracted, not that she had seen any so far. If Querra's plant life was scarce then its animal life was practically non-existent.

Several minutes passed while she waited for Rassen to answer. Eventually he sighed, climbing to his feet as he did so and shouldering their bag of food and water, which had grown noticeably lighter over the past few days. That was something else the two of them had to worry about. If they spent too long pursuing Zaressh then they would need to find more supplies. The problem of course was that there was almost nothing around them apart from grey stone, which in itself only varied between flat and hilly areas.

It was evening at this point and the Jedi turned to stare in the direction of Querra's setting sun before replying. Shaela frowned at that. Every other time he had finished meditating, Rassen had been prompt in informing her what the situation was. His conclusion was always the same; Zaressh was still notably ahead of them, the Sith's presence having lingered for days after he had passed through an area.

Rassen sighed again, rubbing his mask with one hand while continuing to face the horizon. "We've begun closing in now," he whispered, voice almost inaudible. "Zaressh cannot have passed through much more than a day ago. We'll catch him soon." He sighed for a third time. "He probably hasn't the slightest idea that we're so close and so won't be on the lookout for us. This could all be over in less than two days."

Shaela walked over to the human and stood next to him, the two of them observing the setting sun together. Its golden rays of light still reached them, but only barely. Still, there was enough light for the two of them to continue walking for a little longer before it would be dark. "Come on," she murmured to Rassen, taking one of his hands in her own and gently tugging to get his attention. "We can travel a bit further before stopping for the night. If we're lucky then maybe we'll even catch up with him tomorrow."

"Yes," Rassen replied, pulling his hand free, which caused Shaela to look at him in confusion before the human put his arm around her shoulders. "It almost doesn't feel real, knowing that after all of these weeks the end is near."

Shaela sighed happily, resting her head against Rassen as they began walking. "I know how you feel," she responded, smiling up at him. "A part of me wishes that we could just… leave. Forget about Zaressh and enjoy our time together before I have to go back to the Fleet." Her smile faded at that notion. The Fleet. Even if they had dealt with the Sith by the end of tomorrow, the fact still remained that she had to return to the Flotilla. Shaela knew she loved Rassen, but she likewise loved her family. Returning meant that while she could see them every day, she would lose the ability to see him as frequently as she had become used to. Months might pass between each time they could meet if the ship she chose to join was particularly old and so in desperate need of more hands.

Rassen clearly noticed her distress, his arm tightening slightly around her shoulders in response. Shaela barely noticed; being so wrapped up in her thoughts. The other races distrusted her people, often branding them thieves. Unfortunately, many quarians didn't think much more of them in return. Add to that the fact the other races had all refused to help them take Rannoch back or offer to provide them with a new world and some quarians even viewed the rest of the galaxy with a degree of hate. Shaela had seen enough on Omega to know that just because you weren't a quarian, life wasn't necessarily kind. She had seen plenty of poor individuals belonging to every race imaginable during her time on the station. Most pilgrims however went to places like the Citadel or a colony belonging to one of the galaxy's major powers. As a result, many returned to the Fleet jealous of what the rest of the galaxy had; wealth, respect… and the ability to breath air that hadn't been painstakingly filtered free of bacteria.

She sighed, before turning to glance at Rassen, who unsurprisingly was looking at her in worry. She tried to smile back reassuringly, but knew that it didn't quite reach her eyes. Rassen stopped walking, gently pulling her closer as he did so.

"Shaela, what's wrong?" The human asked in concern, gently rubbing one of her shoulders. She sighed in response before trying to continue on, only to be stopped when Rassen refused to let go of her.

"Rassen, come on. There's still a bit of light left."

"No."

She frowned at the short response. "Don't you want to keep going?"

The human released her in order to cross his arms. "Not until you tell me what is going on."

Shaela ground her teeth together, touched but frustrated at his insistence. "Nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing."

She changed tactics. "It would just be distracting to talk about it. We need to be completely focused on tomorrow."

Rassen nodded in response. "I quite agree, which is why I would like to discuss whatever is bothering you now. What lies ahead tomorrow is not the kind of situation that we should go into with anything less than complete focus."

The quarian sighed heavily. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Rassen gently took one of her hands. "Not while it could put you in danger."

"You can't do that, it's cheating," Shaela protested, glancing down at their entwined fingers and trying to ignore how her heartrate increased at the affection. That didn't stop her from taking the human's free hand in her other one though. After examining their hands a bit further, she looked back up at Rassen. "I know that we agreed to discuss this once Zaressh is dealt with, but with that being so close…"

"You're concerned about the future."

"Yes."

Rassen sighed, looking towards the sun again, which had almost entirely set by this point. "I've been thinking about that as well," he admitted. "But perhaps we are overcomplicating this by doing so."

Shaela frowned at that. "How?" She asked.

The human looked back at her. "It is often the most basic things that are the most important. I love you and you love me." He paused before continuing. "Does your family know about us?"

Shaela blinked in surprise. She had kept her recorded message to her parents and sister short; she hated long drawn-out goodbyes. "No," she admitted, "I was only able to get through to the Fleet that one time. We weren't, um… together then. I think Rissel suspects though."

Rassen tilted his head in confusion. "What gave you that impression?"

Shaela blushed. "When I mentioned you to her, I think I may have hinted at how I felt… even if I wasn't entirely sure about what that was at the time. Come to think of it, that might explain why she seemed focused on you as the topic of conversation."

"Did she seem… opposed to the idea of you being involved with a human?"

"No."

She could hear the smile in Rassen's voice now. "Then from what we know, there are no serious issues regarding the two of us once Zaressh has been dealt with." Shaela blinked at the human's casual attitude.

"But, I'll have to go back to the Fleet soon!"

"That will make it difficult for us to see one another, but it doesn't stop us from being together. I told you that I wouldn't feel too guilty staying in this galaxy if I could continue to act like a Jedi. I am sure I could find people to help during the periods when you are with the Fleet."

Shaela's jaw dropped. "My immune system?" She protested weakly. "There have been instances in the past of some quarians having immune systems so weak that they can't ever remove a part of their suit around someone else, even in a clean room. What if I'm one of those cases?"

Rassen pulled her closer. "It doesn't matter to me what you look like Shaela," he said firmly. "You told me that you wanted to show me your face and I know how much it means for you to be willing to do that." The human reached up to lower his hood and undid the straps that held his mask in place before removing the object and placing it on the ground. "I told you I loved you before I even knew that it might be possible for you to do that. I love you for what I saw then, not for what I might see in the future."

Shaela didn't have time to even try and formulate a response before Rassen pulled her flush against him, the human kissing her with an intensity that she had never seen from him before. Their previous displays of affection had been… soft. They had been gentle and affectionate. This was more emotional, more turbulent. This was Rassen trying to prove to her that he meant what he said. So she pressed her mouthpiece more firmly against the human's lips than she ever had, desperately trying to bring her own to his despite the metal separating them.

The Jedi responded by moving one of his arms so that his hand was positioned on her back rather than one of her shoulders. Shaela let out a low moan as Rassen began tracing circles across her spine, the gentle but firm pressure just managing to reach her skin despite the thick material of her enviro-suit. Goose bumps rose on the areas that his hand stroked over. She responded by removing one of her arms from round his middle to run her fingers across the human's chest, her smaller hand gliding smoothly over the hard plates of armour. Rassen likewise felt the affection despite his clothing, if the low growl that escaped him was of any indication.

After a couple of minutes the two of them separated, both breathing heavily. They stared into each other's eyes as their respective heartbeats slowed. Rassen smiled warmly before taking one of her hands and kissing it. "We have done all we can regarding the future, Shaela. Try not to worry about it, it will come soon enough. For now we just need to worry about the present." The human then glanced around them. Shaela did likewise, noting with surprise that the sun had just about finished setting while they had been… indisposed.

"It is dark now," Rassen noted, drawing her attention back to him. "If we want to finish this tomorrow then we need to get as much rest as we can before it gets light." Shaela followed him as he lay down a few metres away, seemingly unbothered by the hard rock beneath him. She had asked him about that when they had stopped the first night and he had muttered something about Jedi beds not being what one would call comfortable. For her at least, the ground had so far been unpleasant to sleep on, though it did have a few benefits.

Every night, Rassen would position the bag of food and water beneath his head like a pillow before she would come and curl up next to him, her head resting on his chest. Despite the hardness of the ground, the proximity between them just about made the arrangement bearable.

After they had assumed their regular positions, Shaela looked upwards, staring at the night's sky above them. It had been weeks since she had last done so, the two apartments on Omega having possessed no windows. It was so easy to forget that each of the tiny pinpricks of light that she could see was a star, each one holding the promise of something new and exciting. When she had been a child, she had often tried to avoid going to bed by running off to one of the windows of the Kilal, content to just stare out into space as the vessel lumbered through the void. One of her parents always found her in the end though, and she had grown out of the habit upon becoming a teenager. Still, the memories caused her to smile now as she stared up at the stars above the two of them.

Shaela adjusted her position so she could to put an arm round Rassen, who returned the favour by placing one of his own round her shoulders. That seemed to be his favourite way to hold her she thought, smiling in contentment. She glanced back at the sky. Despite the blackness surrounding them, each of those stars represented a new possibility and each one of them looked bright tonight.

* * *

After Shaela had woken him, they had continued on as normal. The two of them had only been walking for a couple of hours before they noticed that the ground had begun to slowly creep upwards. After a further hour of walking, the terrain had reached such an angle as to slow their pace considerably. As midday gave way to afternoon and the afternoon light had begun to fade slightly, but with darkness still a few hours away, the ground had started to level out. As they finally reached the top of the incline, both he and Shaela stared down in awe at the sight before them.

The vast hill on which they stood curved round in two directions, the sides growing further and further apart before meeting again opposite their position, giving the raised land where they stood the appearance of a ring. From the ring the ground sloped down from all directions towards the centre, giving the whole area the impression of a misshapen bowl. From the bottom of the sloped sides and from the centre, which itself was flat, formations of rock, some the size of houses thrust themselves up from the ground, each one a different shape. The formations grew more frequent the closer you looked to the centre, presenting an almost maze-like structure. From where they stood at the top of one end of the valley to the other, it had to be at least several miles.

Rassen turned to face Shaela. "What do you think?" He asked, gesturing at the natural marvel below them. The quarian shook her head before responding.

"It's beautiful, but I get the feeling that's not what you meant."

He likewise shook his head. "It is certainly impressive, but what I meant is which route do you think we should take? If we go back and try to go round this whole area then we undo the best part of a day's worth of progress and allow Zaressh to widen the gap." The Jedi turned to point at the valley below them. "That means that we either need to head along the outside or go straight through the middle."

Shaela stroked her mouthpiece in thought. "Going back and looking for a way round would probably take too long if we assume that he's close to whatever he came here for." She turned to face him. "Could you check how recently Zaressh passed through the area, please?"

Rassen nodded, closing his eyes in thought. He barely had to try to locate the Sith now, they were so close. He opened his eyes less than ten seconds after having shut them. "The terrain growing steeper must have slowed him even more than it did us." He gave the quarian a serious look. "I cannot be sure but it seems like he can't be more than a few hours or so ahead."

"So if we go round to either the left or the right," Shaela pointed to each direction in turn as she spoke, "then he might spot us, given that we're on the highest ground for miles."

He nodded at the quarian's observation. "Yes, but there are plenty of places to hide down there," he looked down at the valley below them, which suddenly appeared much more foreboding than it had before. "We have to choose. Do we go round the top where we could be more easily spotted, or do we head through the valley, where it would be easier for him to ambush us if he sees us anyway?"

He watched the quarian slowly weigh the two choices in her mind. Truth be told he wasn't entirely sure which was the best route to take. Both would take the rest of the day to get through, the valley because of the rock formations that clogged it, and the outside rim because it was a longer route in terms of distance. If he had to choose then he would have picked the valley, seeing as how while Zaressh could use it to obscure himself from view, the two of them could do the same. After a minute or so of silence, Shaela spoke.

"The valley," she murmured softly, the musical lilt normally present in her voice missing due to the tension she felt. "We don't want him to notice us until as late as possible. If we go that way then we have a greater chance of surprising him."

Rassen nodded in response, readjusting his grip on the bag that he still carried over one shoulder. "I was thinking the valley as well," he admitted. "Neither route is perfect, but I agree that this is probably the best one."

Shaela smiled up at him, trying to lighten the mood. "When is there ever a perfect route to take?"

"Never, but that itself should never stop us from looking for one."

* * *

It took the two of them half an hour to make their way down the slope, given that while they were trying to close the gap between them and Zaressh, neither wanted to risk a serious injury. Their progress was prevented from speeding up once they had reached the bottom though. While they were now on flat ground, the rock formations forced them to zig-zag their way through the area. Shaela carefully stepped round a boulder as big as she was, being sure not to make contact with it in any way. While most of her enviro-suit was comprised of a rubber-like material, her feet and shins were partially covered in light metal plating, as was the case with many quarian enviro-suits. This was a precautionary measure, since it protected the lower leg sections of the suit from damage, which could be incurred from simply walking into an object if you were unlucky enough. In this instance the protection was a double-edged sword though, if she were to accidentally knock a shin into a lump of solid rock then she had no idea how far the noise could travel. Zaressh was still substantially ahead, but she still didn't want to take the risk.

Rassen, being fully armoured, was in much the same position. As the two of them moved further into the boulder field, the frequency of the rocks continued to increase. Smaller ones began appearing too, scattered among their larger cousins. Tectonic activity coupled with erosion over the course of centuries or even millennia had broken down parts of some of the formations, which were presumably the older ones, as they were closer to the centre. The bowl had probably grown wider and wider over the years, with the edges of it crumbling to produce more and more obstacles, chunks breaking free and then rolling down the sloped terrain to join their brethren, in turn increasing the size of the boulder field. The two of them winced whenever a poorly placed step occasionally resulted in a stone being kicked out of the way, causing it to clatter over the ground.

After an hour of making their way across the flat (aside from the formations) centre of the valley, they reached a clearing. Shaela swallowed at the sight of the roughly square area in front of them. It still had the occasional rock formation jutting from the ground though these ones were smaller, but the real problem was that the area was much more open than anywhere they had passed through in the time since the ground had flattened out. That made it a perfect place for an ambush. Rassen clearly recognised the situation too and motioned for her to stay back as he began to inch his way out into the open. She quickly grabbed onto his shoulder, shaking her head vigorously at the human.

Rassen gently squeezed the hand that held his shoulder before motioning to the pistol at her hip. "I'll go first," he whispered, "cover me as best you can. If nothing happens before I've reached the other side, I'll signal for you to come over."

Shaela nodded reluctantly, removing her gun from her hip and slowly moving it from side to side as Rassen slowly made his way into the open. Upon there being no change, the human quickly darted to the nearest rock formation, pressing his back to it as quietly as he could. Still nothing happened. She kept Rassen in the corner of her eye as she continued to scan for anything out of the ordinary as he repeated the process before safely reaching the other side. Upon Rassen gesturing to her that it was safe, Shaela likewise made her way across, using the various formations as cover, some being large enough to cover her completely and others not, until she stood next to the human.

"Nothing here then," the man next to her murmured, "but I can feel that Zaressh is close." Shaela nodded and the two of them continued on their way, both even more alert than before.

About half an hour of silence passed as the two of them continued on, both watching their footing as they had before. Shaela glanced over at the human who walked along beside her, eyes primarily focused on the ground in front of him as a thought popped into her head. She had never considered it before, but the whole situation almost seemed like something out of one of the stories she had been told as a child on the Flotilla. Stories of adventure and discovery had been among her favourites and now she was a part of one. When all of this was over, what would her parents think? Would they believe her? They always had before, but so much had happened that she personally would never have believed unless she had experienced it first-hand.

Shaela turned her attention back to the ground in front of her, concentrating on putting one food in front of the other. Rassen had told her not to worry about the future and he was right. What they were dealing with at the moment was important. Anyway, they had to be at least halfway through the boulder field by now, surely? She leaned up onto her toes, but couldn't see past the wall that each individual formation formed. She was confident that they were heading in the right direction, which was something at least. They would manage to find their way free eventually.

Rassen suddenly stopped where he was and she followed suit, wincing as her foot caught one of the aforementioned loose stones, sending it skidding across the ground in front of them. The human seemed to take no notice of her clumsiness as he stood there motionless. She frowned at his behaviour. Rassen only grew still like that when deep in thought. She carefully made her way over to him before he spoke, his words causing her own to die in her throat.

"I can't sense him," Rassen murmured, a hint of strain in his voice as he did so. "There is nobody else in this area of the planet other than the three of us, yet I can't sense him."

Shaela swallowed nervously. "What does that mean?"

The human finally moved, turning on the spot to face her. "It means that he has somehow found a way to shield himself from me. I don't know how he has managed it, which means that I don't know what to look for."

She bit her lip. If Rassen could no longer sense Zaressh, then it must mean the Sith had noticed them despite their going through the boulder field. Even if he had though, then why would he bother to conceal himself anyway? If he knew that they were close behind then that gave him the ability to choose the place of their encounter by luring them into a trap. She arrived at the obvious conclusion at the same moment Rassen did.

"He has decided to stop being the hunted and become the hunter," the Jedi said calmly, though Shaela knew him well enough to pick up on the tell-tale signs of fear. A slightly clenched fist and a shift in the human's overall posture gave away his unease. "If he is the one coming after us then he must be certain that he will win. We need to go back, now."

Shaela nodded quickly and she and Rassen turned back the way they had come, walking faster than they had before, but still being careful not to disrupt the stones around their feet. She looked over at the human when he suddenly spoke quietly. "Whatever allowed you to conceal your presence from him the last time, do it now. I will try to conceal my own mind and we can come up with another plan once we are away from here."

She nodded again and began praying to the ancestors that the two of them wouldn't be found.

Twenty minutes of nerve-wracking backtracking passed as the two of them continued to walk quickly but carefully, both having to rely purely on their eyes for any sign of danger now that the Force was no longer of use. Shaela shivered nervously as she noticed the sun sink beneath the crest of the valley. It would be dark soon. Already it was becoming difficult to see. Rassen seemed to notice the departure of the sun as well, as the human picked up the pace so that she was practically jogging to keep up. They hadn't found anything else to worry them, but in its own way the lack of any visible danger was just as disturbing as Zaressh's seeming disappearance from the Force.

Shaela almost sighed in relief as the clearing from before reappeared, the two of them having reached it faster than she had expected. She motioned to Rassen that she would edge forward first this time and was about to so when the human's hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, pinning her in place. She whipped round to face Rassen as the human slowly tracked his eyes from one side to the other, tension radiating from him as he did so.

* * *

"Rassen, what's wrong?" Shaela asked him worriedly. He didn't answer her. He had felt something, but only for a moment. The briefest flicker of something right at the edge of his senses. Zaressh had let his concentration slip for a moment, but only for a moment. The Sith was still nearby, but where exactly? They had uncovered no trace of him so far and a small part of him had begun to hope that the Sith wasn't aware of their presence. After several moments of silence, he shook his head and turned to face Shaela, who was beginning to tremble slightly.

"I almost for a moment there thought… it doesn't matter." He quickly embraced the quarian before gesturing to the end of the clearing. "Cover me in the same way as before and then I'll do the same for you, okay?"

Shaela nodded, looking a little reassured before he hugged her again, edged forward and then moved to the first rocky outcrop. There was nothing on the side of the clearing that he was exposed to as far he could see. Swallowing heavily, the Jedi then moved to the next piece of cover, only to fall to one knee as the Force suddenly screamed at him. Rassen jerked his head up to see that Shaela had rushed across to crouch next to him behind the small wall of rock, trembling even worse than before. He didn't need to ask to know that she had felt whatever it was as well.

The two of them stayed there for a moment, both breathing heavily from behind their cover. Rassen swallowed again, holding Shaela tightly with one arm as the quarian clung to him in terror. That spike in the Force had been brief, oh so brief, but he had a horrible feeling that he had felt the sensation before. A scuffing noise interrupted his thoughts, causing him release Shaela and drop the bag he still carried before he stepped out of cover to face it.

Zaressh stood a mere ten metres away, a black spectre almost perfectly blending into the gloom, one leg at an unnatural looking angle. He clearly hadn't had the limb looked at and walking on it for as long as he must have had taken its toll. The Sith's lightsaber suddenly ignited, throwing his mask into sharp relief despite the growing darkness around them. Rassen's eyes carefully examined his opponent for any further injuries before noticing there was an object near the Sith's other hand. A small red and black pyramid rested above Zaressh's palm and pulsed suddenly, illuminating the area around him in the same red glow as his lightsaber had his mask. The Sith let out a long sigh of contentment as he glanced at the holocron before turning his attention back to Rassen. The Jedi felt his heart sink, Zaressh had already found what he had come for. One holocron had led the Sith to another and he had a horrible feeling that this one contained far more than just knowledge about how to transport someone between galaxies. As on Omega, the Sith finally spoke only after having savoured the moment.

"Ah, Rassen, there you are. You brought your little alien assistant too I trust?" Shaela suddenly poked her head out of cover, pistol fixed on the Sith in front of her. Despite the ever-present mask he wore, Rassen knew that Zaressh smiled at the sight. The Sith turned back to face him, lowering the holocron to the ground as he did so. "Excellent," he snarled. "I shall enjoy making her scream."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Reviews are as follows:**

 **Bob: Regarding the armour, I think I mentioned why that at least wouldn't attract too much attention. As for the other stuff, that will factor into the sequel I am currently planning out. As always thanks for the support, it really does mean a lot.**

 **nlaj1: Good point, but I felt more comfortable with trying to do something a bit more original than essentially repeating the events of the games. Mainly this was because I could avoid crucial canon characters that people love (Garrus, Tali and so on) since I was really worried that I would end up making them OOC by accident. The long-term plan is to include more main characters… but more on that later.**

 **Chapter 19: Endgame**

Rassen moved closer to Shaela, eyes fixed on the Sith in front of them. Zaressh watched him in amusement, content to simply observe for the moment. The Jedi analysed the man across from him as quickly as he could, desperately trying to think of some way he and Shaela could survive what was to come.

Zaressh was stronger than him, always had been. Their last fight had proved however that the Sith was not completely invincible, given that Rassen had been able to injure him before being defeated. Simply throwing himself against Zaressh using either physical might or the Force was not going to work though, it hadn't before. As for the Sith's injuries, Rassen knew that he couldn't try to exploit them, at least not at first. Zaressh would be expecting that. He glanced at Shaela out of the corner of his eye. The quarian still had her pistol trained on the Sith, but that alone would be useless. If he knew when the shots were coming then he could block them with his lightsaber or perhaps even halt them using the Force.

The best strategy that Rassen could think of was for him to attack the man opposite him and tie him up long enough so Shaela could vanish from his perceptions and then shoot him. However, Zaressh had already managed to somehow find the two of them. What if the holocron had increased his power to the point that he could sense either of them regardless of whether they were trying to go unnoticed or not? Rassen swallowed. He needed more information.

Zaressh took a step forward, one leg dragging uselessly behind the other as he did so. Rassen blinked in surprise as the state of the Sith grew more obvious the closer he drew. His robes were ragged; a result of being set on fire. Also, his mask had warped slightly at the edge of one of the bottom corners. A small part of Zaressh's face was exposed as a result, the skin deathly pale and lined with black veins. Despite the tiny size of the exposed area, Rassen easily recognised the type of skin. Zaressh was a human. He had been expecting… well truth be told he didn't really know what he had been expecting. He didn't let Zaressh's appearance boost his confidence too much though. The Sith had proven to be even more dangerous when he was hurt.

Zaressh took another step forward before stopping, several metres still separating him from the two of them. "Before we get to that though," he drawled, "I must admit to being curious. What is so special about her that she is here now at the most pivotal of moments and also interrupted our little bonding session last time?"

Shaela shuddered as the Sith's gaze landed on her and Rassen slowly moved one hand to the lightsaber on his belt, eyes never leaving Zaressh's mask as he did so. The Sith noticed the action, tilting his head in interest before looking back at the quarian. "Unless my eyes have begun to fail me, she is an alien. A member of a lowly species that has no place in any strong society other than to serve their masters. But why is she here?" Zaressh began to circle their position and Rassen mirrored the Sith as he slowly paced, trying to keep himself in front of Shaela. After a moment, Zaressh spoke again. "Not a particularly impressive specimen physically," he noted. "But she must have some use. You seem rather protective of her. Very much like Jedi often are when it comes to their companions, but why is she so important?"

"Rassen, what does he mean about quarians and serving masters?" Shaela whispered.

Zaressh turned his head to look straight at her once more before glancing back at Rassen. "Do you want to tell her, or should I be the one to do it?" He asked, clearly enjoying himself.

Rassen continued to keep one hand near his lightsaber as he explained. "The Sith Empire is largely built round the idea of purity and birth right. More specifically, the purity of two particular peoples; humans and the Sith species itself."

Despite her obvious fear, Shaela let out a snarl of anger as she continued to aim her pistol at Zaressh, keeping the rock formation between her and him as he continued to circle them. "That's disgusting," she spat. "All of the things you can do and you're no better than any of the criminals on Omega."

The Sith shrugged non-committedly. "I am far more than any of them, but I will not begrudge you your opinion. As you may have guessed, I do not value it. Now, the one thing about you that I do value, _alien…"_

Zaressh was practically talking to himself now as he continued to walk round the two of them. "You were definitely the one who attacked me during the last fight, yes? It would make sense for Rassen to have brought you here for that reason. After all, you did manage to catch me off-guard. No easy feat I must admit. Are you a Force sensitive?"

Neither of them said anything as Zaressh continued to ponder. "That would make sense of course, but for two things. One," he announced, holding a finger up to illustrate his point, "I should be able to sense it, since you are not currently trying to hide your presence, and two, you must have been taught somewhere to have learned to hide your mind as well as you are able. There are no Force users aside from the three of us in this galaxy though." Zaressh twirled his lightsaber before attaching it to his belt. Rassen glanced at him in surprise. What was the Sith playing at? Zaressh turned to face him before continuing.

"There is something about her, Voratt. Can you not see it? Something fundamentally _wrong_. A lowly alien such as her, from a species which unless I am incorrect, even the other races of this galaxy despise." Zaressh flicked a hand at a small nearby rock formation as he passed it, which swiftly rose from the ground before smashing back into it with an ear-splitting crash. The Sith didn't seem to notice the destruction he had just caused as continued to circle them.

"Yet, you met her," he murmured. "Of all of the individuals you could have met in this galaxy, you met the only one who can use the Force that either of us knows of. That must be extremely fortunate from your perspective and is certainly a remarkable coincidence. With no real training as far as I can tell, she hid herself from me on Omega. No temples, either Jedi or Sith lie in this galaxy. No artefacts, well," the Sith turned to look at his discarded holocron, "none aside from that one at least exist here either. The people here have no knowledge of the Force. Somehow though, this _thing_ has natural ability far beyond what I would have considered possible. Therefore, she cannot be natural." The Sith triumphantly turned to face the two of them again, stopping his pacing as he did so. "What is she then, Rassen?"

The Jedi shook his head slowly. "I do not know what you mean."

"Come now, come now. Surely you must see it too? The will of the Force is one thing, but there must be something else to explain why she is the only Force sensitive native to this galaxy and happened to meet you and later me of all people?" Rassen knew that Zaressh was smirking beneath his mask now. "I intend to find out the truth. It's truly amazing what you can find buried inside someone's mind if you look hard enough."

"Where did you find the holocron?" Rassen blurted, desperate to distract the Sith from the woman behind him. "What makes it so much better than the one that told you of the rift between galaxies?"

Zaressh's voice dripped with condescension. "I found the holocron here, Jedi. I would have thought that was obvious."

Rassen continued to stall as he tried to think of a plan. "Where exactly though?" He asked. "This world only has the one colony and you clearly found it somewhere near here. We have been following you for several days and were closing in before you found us first." He shook his head. "So how did you know where to find it?"

Zaressh crossed his arms smugly. "I believe I told you I would not reveal what brought me to this miserable little galaxy. You've come this far though, Rassen, so I suppose it couldn't hurt to indulge you a little. Ever since I arrived, I felt it calling to me, pulling gently at my mind. I ignored it until recently, but once we are finished here I shall see about unlocking all of the holocron's secrets. You and your little alien friend interrupted me when I sensed your presence… the ability to do that is the first of the two gifts this repository has granted me so far."

"And the second?"

Zaressh laughed darkly. "You will experience that one very soon. Where was I? Oh yes. I held back heading here until after our last… altercation. I see now that was a mistake. As to where I found it… it was stored here, in this very valley." Zaressh gestured to their surroundings with his arms outstretched. "Stashed away within one of these rock formations long before a colony existed on this world. Unfindable… unless of course you know what to look for."

Rassen sensed that Zaressh was nearing the end of his patience with their conversation. He pressed on quickly. "You knew you were looking for a holocron the whole time?"

"No." The Sith admitted. "I knew what I was looking for was powerful, but that was it." Zaressh's demeanour changed and Rassen's hand tightened round the hilt of his lightsaber. "I will possess all of that power soon enough. Before that though… I will see what is so special about your friend."

Now Rassen did ignite his lightsaber, the blue blade hissing to life. "You will not touch her," he declared, blade pointed directly at the Sith's chest.

Zaressh let out a bark of laughter at his defiance. "Surprising! You care about her even more than I would have expected from a Jedi." The mirth vanished, cold anger replacing it so quickly that Rassen could have sworn it had been there the whole time. "But who said anything about touching her?"

The night was suddenly punctuated by Shaela's screams of agony. Rassen whipped round to see the quarian drop her pistol, both hands on her helmet as she fell to her knees. He turned back to Zaressh, who raised a hand before he could. Rassen felt himself fly backwards and he crashed to the ground at least ten metres away, still clutching his lightsaber but managing to switch it off before he impaled himself. The back of his head hit the stone that made up Querra's surface and stars exploded in front of his eyes as the Jedi groaned in pain. Rolling over onto his hands and knees, Rassen had to fight down the urge to vomit as a wave of nausea threated to overwhelm him. As the stars in his vision faded, the world seemed to be moving slowly, indistinct shapes blurring into one another

Someone seemed to be speaking off in the distance. Rassen frowned when he couldn't make out the words. He recognised that voice, didn't he? Slowly he staggered to his feet, the speaker's words gradually becoming clearer. Something was missing though, he thought, as he tried to make out what the speaker was saying. There had been someone else talking hadn't there? No, not talking, screaming. His recovering eyes landed on a blue figure lying partially behind one of the rock formations that dotted the clearing. The woman was curled into a ball, her quiet sobs causing her body to occasionally shudder.

Rassen blinked as he tried to remember who the woman was. She was important, he knew that much. He staggered as he tried to take a step towards the person. Part of him just wanted to lie down and sleep. He felt so tired after trudging through this Force damned valley looking for… whatever he had been looking for. He had been with someone else hadn't he? Yes, her name was…

 _Shaela!_

His mind suddenly snapped out of its haze and Rassen snarled in anger, throwing out a hand as he did so. Zaressh, who had been so absorbed in rifling through Shaela's head that he hadn't noticed the Jedi get up, grunted in surprise as a rock more than half his size rose from the ground several metres behind him and slammed into his back. The Sith was sent sprawling from the strength of the attack and attempted to rise, only for Rassen to lift the object up again before bringing it down upon his lower legs, pinning him in place. Zaressh roared in anger and pain as his already injured leg suffered yet more damage. He thrust out his own hand and lightning burst forth.

Rassen grunted as he raised his lightsaber to block the attack, the tendrils of lightning wrapping round the blade of his weapon. Glancing to his right in the direction of Shaela, who was still behind the rock formation, the Jedi began to slowly inch his way towards her. Zaressh bellowed even louder than before and Rassen's progress grew even slower as the Sith's lightning began shifting in colour from blue to purple.

 _That's the second gift then._

Pushing the observation away and continuing to block the attack though his muscles screamed in protest, Rassen managed to keep moving until the stream of energy cut off. As Zaressh roared in frustration, the Jedi staggered forward in exhaustion before collapsing onto all fours.

 _Need to… get… to Shaela!_

Rassen ignored the Sith's continued howls and pushed himself back to his feet before he stumbled as fast as he could to Shaela's side, the quarian still sobbing uncontrollably. He crouched down next to her, quickly checking for injuries. No damage to her enviro-suit, thank the Force, but her eyes were wild behind the blue glass of her visor. He had to get her out of here before Zaressh could do anything else to her. Grunting with the effort of still trying to remain on his feet, Rassen grabbed one of the quarian's arms before lifting her up off the ground. Shaela whimpered in fear as he touched her, but quieted when she realised it was him.

"Shaela, we need to move. Can you run if I help you?" The quarian nodded feebly before leaning on him heavily. The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly rose and Rassen shoved her out of the way, turning and raising his lightsaber in front of him as he did so. Off-balance, he barely managed to block the first blast of Force lightning. The second knocked his lightsaber from his hands and the third caught him squarely in the stomach. The attack which had penetrated his defences barely lasted more than a second, but somehow it was far more painful than what Zaressh had subjected him to in the past. Rassen moaned quietly as he tasted blood, unable to spit it out owing to his mask. He collapsed onto all fours again, his muscles shaking uncontrollably. He managed to raise his head enough to see that Zaressh had managed to free himself from the boulder that had pinned his legs and had made it round the formation Shaela had been using as cover, though the Sith was limping even worse than before.

Zaressh tilted his head like he was impressed by how much stronger his lightning had suddenly become before he flicked his wrist, sending a bolt straight at Rassen's head. The Jedi barely managed to roll to the side. As it was, he only partially avoided the assault. One of the forks of lightning tore across the side of his mask, causing the object to rip itself away from his face and land somewhere behind him. He attempted to raise a hand to throw the Sith backwards, but another blast of lightning struck him in a shoulder and the agony returned. After what seemed like an eternity the attack ended and Rassen gasped as the immense pain faded slightly.

Zaressh leaned against the rock formation for support and observed him as he tried to stand. "Now, where was I before you so rudely interrupted me, Rassen?" He spat. "Oh yes. I had just taken a quick look inside the alien's mind." Rassen tried to reply, but his tongue wasn't working. All he could do was glare at the Sith impotently.

"A quarian, I believe she called herself?" Zaressh drawled. "Your little _friend_ over there, that's her species. Not surprising I wasn't sure of the name at first, the rest of this galaxy does not like to talk about her kind." He pointed to Shaela, who was slowly crawling over to Rassen's side. "Fascinating mind this one, though it will take her a while to pull it back together fully I would have thought, being a member of such a disgusting little species. Still, I noticed she highly values those close to her. An easy weakness to exploit of course." The Sith glanced back at Shaela before returning his gaze to Rassen. "There were some rather… illuminating things inside her head. Shall I share them with you? I get the feeling you already know, but where would the harm be?"

Despite it being against everything he had been taught, in that moment Rassen truly despised Zaressh. Part of him had for a long time of course, but now that hatred seemed to consume every fibre of his being. The Sith had invaded Shaela's mind because he was _curious_. He had come to fight them. He had been certain of victory, but had decided to violate the quarian's thoughts because he could. In doing so he now knew everything. Who Shaela was, what she had done over the course of her life…

Zaressh knew he loved her.

The sick joy he could feel radiating from the Sith told him that the latter had read his thoughts from his facial expressions. "I told you I would enjoy making her scream and that is entirely true. I have very much enjoyed it so far but," Zaressh pushed off from where he had been leaning against the rock formation, stepping closer as he did so, "we both know why I found it so much fun, Rassen. You brought… what was her name again?" The Sith pretended to think before snapping his fingers. "Shaela, that was it. You brought Shaela with you to face me. Regardless of whether she was useful, which I think we both know she is, I knew you must have some degree of attachment to her when she poked her head out. If you trusted her enough to bring her with you again, then you obviously care about her a great deal, as I said. Besides, Jedi are supposed to be compassionate after all." Zaressh crouched down so he could look Rassen in the eye more easily, but remained several metres away. "Hurting her was fun because she hurt me first. Few things are as sweet as revenge. But now that I know a 'noble defender of the Republic' like you has gone so far as to fall in love… it's about to get a whole lot sweeter."

"Don't." Rassen barely managed to choke out as Shaela finally reached him and took one his hands in hers. "Hurt me, but not her."

Zaressh grinned at that, he was sure of it. "Weren't you listening, Rassen? This is all about hurting _you_ , it just so happens that I'm doing it through her." The Sith pressed a finger against the side of his head. "You didn't see it, did you? Looking through her mind, examining her thoughts, it was so obvious all this time. Why she followed you, why she could learn about the Force so quickly and why she loves you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw that you connected your mind to hers. You showed her as much as you could to convince her you thought you were from our galaxy and not this one when you first met. Remember when I asked you if you had begun acting differently since our first fight and you didn't deny it? I forged a Force bond between us for my own ends…"

Rassen felt sick. "And I created one between Shaela and myself."

Zaressh clapped mockingly. "You're more like me than you would like to admit, Rassen. At least I am honest about what I do. A Jedi's life is one of contradiction. There is no emotion… but of course there is. You yourself are a prime example of that."

Both of them froze in surprise as a new voice entered the conversation. "No, you're wrong," Shaela muttered, still gripping Rassen's hand in her own, eyes now fixed on the Sith in front of them. "You were inside my head and I saw… I understand what I was doing wrong." The quarian turned to look at Rassen. "I understand how to move the chair now."

Zaressh was too stunned by the speed of Shaela's recovery to react as he was thrown backwards, slamming to the ground with as much force as Rassen had mere minutes prior. The Sith screamed as he landed on his crippled leg.

Shaela's eyes burned with fury and Rassen watched in awe as she released his hand before rising to her feet. The quarian gestured, lifting Zaressh into the air before slamming him down again even harder than when she had thrown him backwards. "You hurt Rassen. You used him for your own benefit and then tried to kill him." Shaela jerked her hand up again and Zaressh rose even higher before smashing to the ground so hard that Rassen heard the crunching noise of bones breaking. The quarian continued undeterred. "Rassen wanted to help me, has helped me. That's why I stayed with him and that's why I love him. The two of you couldn't be more different." Zaressh rose from the ground again, but this time was slammed front first against the rock formation he had previously leaned against. Flakes of stone broke off where the Sith's battered frame made contact with it.

Rassen attempted to stand, only to collapse back to the ground almost immediately. Groaning, the Jedi looked up to see Zaressh's holocron laying several metres away. He managed to reach out towards it and the device flew through the air and landed in front of him. Panting, Rassen called his lightsaber back to his hand and forced himself to his knees. He ignited the blade and thrust it down towards the artefact with all of his strength. A hissing noise filled his ears as his lightsaber burned through the centre of the pyramidal device, destroying its casing and obliterating the dark knowledge within. The effort of doing so left him on all fours once more.

Realising that Shaela wasn't trying to help him up, Rassen breathed in deeply before finally forcing himself to his feet, muscles screaming in protest. While he had been destroying the holocron, the quarian had stood just next to him as she smashed Zaressh against the wall of rock over and over again. He barely managed to grab one of her arms, muscles nearly giving out on him as he did so. "Shaela… Shaela, stop."

The quarian's head snapped round to face him. "Why? After everything he has done to you, after he killed your master, after what he just did to me… you want me to stop?"

"Yes."

"Why? What has this monster done to deserve mercy?"

Rassen met Shaela's eyes, matching the intensity he saw there. "He is well beyond saving. You are not."

Zaressh slumped to the ground unmoving as the quarian blinked in surprise. "What?"

Rassen pushed on now he had her attention. "Don't you see, Shaela? This is not like you. The anger, the hate you feel. You got that from me, though I tried to deny I felt it." He turned to face the unconscious form of Zaressh. "And I got it from him."

He turned back to face the woman he loved. "You are better than him, better than me even. You've beaten him, Shaela. Don't torture him like this. We have to stop him causing any more suffering, but we can do so without becoming like him. I know it is hard but you are strong enough to resist the urge. Please let it go."

Shaela was breathing more rapidly now, eyes quickly darting from him to Zaressh and back. "Rassen, I-I don't…"

He stepped closer to her, gently kissing the top of the quarian's helmet. "Please, love. Stop now for your own sake and if that is not enough…" He kissed Shaela on the mouthpiece gently. "Then stop for me."

Shaela glanced back at Zaressh, whose injured leg now bent backwards unnaturally. The quarian's eyes moved to the Sith's mask, which had come off during her assault. Rassen followed her gaze, looking at the face of the man who had been the main driving force behind everything he had done for what felt like a lifetime. He could have felt relief as he stared at a face which would have been handsome if not for its deathly pale skin and black veins. He could have even felt joy at seeing his enemy brought so low. Instead Rassen felt nothing except worry for the woman who stood next to him and he knew why.

His actions had a new driving force behind them.

The quarian's shoulders began to shake and Rassen pulled her firmly into an embrace as she began crying. Not letting his eyes off the still unmoving form of Zaressh, he whispered reassurances to the woman in his arms. "Shhh, it's over now, Shaela. We did it, we stopped him.

Shaela held onto him desperately. "I need… I need you to stay with me, Rassen. I don't… I don't want to become like him."

He gently kissed the top of the quarian's head again, pressing his face into the coarse material of her hood as he did so. "You never will, Shaela, I promise."

"How sickeningly sweet."

The last thing Rassen heard was Shaela's scream as his vision went black.

* * *

Pain. All consuming pain that could only have been caused by someone who knew what they were doing. Rassen groaned as he returned to consciousness and a startled cry caused the Jedi's eyes to snap open. A figure stood over him, but quickly backed away upon seeing that he had woken up. Rassen groaned before climbing painfully to his feet, vision hazy. Shaking his head to clear it, he blinked in surprise at the person who had woken him.

A tall, wide face jutted upwards from the person's neck, which in turn protruded out from the top of their body. Their eyes were in widest part of their face, nearer the top than the bottom. Their skin was a mottled green, but the most distinguishing aspect was the pair of mouths, one located on each side of the neck. Rassen frowned at the sight.

 _An Ithorian? But how…_

Beginning to panic, Rassen looked up. It appeared to be the middle of the day, but much of the sky was concealed by smog. It had been night just a moment ago. He looked at the ground, desperate for any hint of familiarity. Instead of the smooth grey rock of Querra's surface, the ground on which he stood was metal. It was clearly old, but well looked after, nothing at all like the neglected and rusty corridors of Omega. Rassen turned on the spot. He looked to be in some kind of alleyway in a massive city of some kind.

He swallowed. "Where am I?" he asked the Ithorian, who had stood watching him worriedly.

The Ithorian frowned before replying in the deep, croaky voice attributed to its species. "Are you well, human? I saw you lying here of all places and-"

"Where am I?" Rassen shouted, causing the alien to jump in fright.

"Y-you're in the Jaleyso District, h-human."

Rassen grabbed the Ithorian by its shoulders. "Please," he begged, "which planet is this?"

The Ithorian began shaking in fear. "Cor-Corellia."

 _No, no it can't be._

Rassen sank to his knees, barely noticing the Ithorian as it sprinted away from him. A pained wheezing caused him to slowly glance to his right, heart freezing at what he saw.

Zaressh was sitting in shadow, propped up against a nearby wall, eyes barely open as he took deep, shuddering breaths. The Ithorian hadn't seen him. Rassen would have missed him as well if it hadn't been for his sudden noises of pain. Without thinking, he was in front of Zaressh, picking him up to slam the Sith against the wall. Zaressh groaned in pain, eyes shutting tight at the intense agony he had to be feeling after Shaela's beating.

"Take me back," Rassen snarled. "Take me back now, or I will-"

"You'll do what, Rassen? Kill me?" Zaressh laughed, the noise made hideous by the blood he suddenly coughed up. The Sith spat onto the ground next to them before continuing. "This is not how I imagined this would end, but I'll take what I can get."

Rassen slammed the Sith back into the wall. "Take me back now!" He screamed. Zaressh grinned at him, though the pain he was in made it more of a grimace.

"Third time isn't the charm after all, Rassen. You lose again." The Sith's eyes rolled up into his head and his body sagged in Rassen's grip.

"No," he whispered. "No, not after everything, this cannot be how it… no." The reality of his situation sank in. Zaressh's last act had been to send the two of them back to their galaxy, leaving Shaela alone in hers. He had no way back and Shaela was alone, terrified and hurt, days away from any kind of help.

For the first time since his master had died, Rassen Voratt wept.

* * *

Shaela stared in horror at the spot where Rassen had vanished before whipping round to face Zaressh. Nothing greeted her but thin air. Both of them had somehow disappeared.

 _What did Zaressh do? He and Rassen were just here and the only thing that could have made them both vanish like that is… oh keelah, no._

"Rassen!" She screamed. "Rassen, where are you?" Shaela waved a hand in front of her, which met nothing but empty air. She turned round to see a familiar object lying on the ground a few feet away. Staggering over, she fell to her knees upon reaching it. "Please," she begged, staring down at Rassen's mask, which now bore a vicious looking scar across one side. "Not after everything, not when we were so close. I was going to show you my face, a-and we were going to l-look for a Pilgrimage gift together and t-then…" The quarian's voice trailed off as she broke down into defeated sobs. "Why?" She moaned quietly. "Why did you do it you monster? You'd lost, you must have known that. Why do this? Wasn't everything else enough?"

Silence answered her desperate pleas.

* * *

Rassen didn't know how long he spent there, tears streaming down his face. He had lost her, lost everything. He could never go back to the Jedi. The Masters would know that he had broken the code and the penalty for love, or at least choosing it over the Order, was expulsion. He didn't have a Force bond with any other Sith, meaning he couldn't go back to Shaela's galaxy the way Zaressh had transported him. The rift was closed to him that way.

But then Zaressh had hinted that there were others, hadn't he?

Before their second fight, the Sith had been content to talk. He had enjoyed lording his superior position over Rassen. He had revelled in it even. What had he said again? Rassen frowned in concentration, trying desperately to remember. His eyes widened as part of the conversation came back to him.

 _The gateway itself is a tear in the Force, as I said. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to open it wide enough to explore what lay beyond. Then inspiration struck me. Your Order is weak, Jedi. You are losing the war and everyone knows it, except of course for the Force. As far as the Force is concerned, no one side is superior. Sometimes you cannot break down a doorway, but neither can you wait patiently for it to open of its own accord. Sometimes you need to knock to gain access._

Rassen gasped at the realisation. Zaressh had come up with his own method of moving between the two galaxies. That meant there was another way to do it, perhaps even that there were several other ways. He couldn't get back the way he had arrived originally. But if there was just one other way…

 _It is not much, but it is hope._

Zaressh had mentioned the ancient Sith who had first created the rift. He had also revealed that he suspected others would cross the boundary in the future. A different way back might still exist. A flash of movement caused Rassen to look up. After a moment, his eyes located the source of the disturbance. A small ship, no bigger than the transport that he and Shaela had taken to Querra, had just emerged from the smog. The people within it had just entered a new world because it was possible, because they had found a way. For them it had been as simple as buying a ticket, for him to go where he wanted it would be much harder.

Rassen's eyes followed the ship as it flew past where he knelt, everyone within it completely oblivious to his existence. The corner of his mouth twitched up at the sight. It wouldn't be easy, it might even be damn near impossible. But he had to believe that he could find another way to cross back into Shaela's galaxy.

Shaela was alone, but she still had their supplies of food and water. She was days away from the colony, but the quarian had a determined soul. It would be difficult, but she could make it back to civilisation. He loved her and he knew that she could do it.

As the ship cruised out of sight, Rassen turned to face Zaressh's body. "You were wrong," he told it, rising to his feet. "I haven't lost this time. It's just going to take me longer to win then I would have liked." The Jedi turned away and closed his eyes, the image of a certain quarian filling his mind. Whatever it took, he would do it for her. He would find a way back.

 _Hold on, Shaela. I'm coming._

 **A/N: Well… that was that. Before anyone tries to kill me for ending it this way, I do plan to write a sequel. It's all a bit vague at the moment, but it should happen. My final year of university is about to start and that will probably impact the rate at which I can update quite badly. I'm sorry about that, but I just thought I should give everyone a heads up. This story was in large part written because I wanted to contribute something to a website that I have gotten countless hours of enjoyment from.**

 **I would once again like to thank everyone who reviewed this fic, added it to their favourites or followed it. I never would have made it to the end without your support. I know that basically everyone on this site says that, but it is absolutely true. Writing this fic has given me a whole new level of respect for everyone who has written something like this before. If you haven't reviewed yet and could spare the time then please let me know what you thought of this story. I respond to all of them and would like to keep improving.**

 **At just over 100K words in total (including author's notes) I've spent time pretty much every day working on this story for the past few months. I never expected to get this far and if it ever felt like I was making it up as I went along… for the most part that's because I was. One of the main criticisms I've received is pacing and I think that owes a lot to the fact I didn't carefully plan this story out. I knew how I wanted it to end quite a few chapters in advance… but that was about it. That's something I will rectify going forward.**

 **Speaking of which:**

 **Without getting into spoilers, the sequel will include some of the elements left over from False Masks, but will also bring in more canon stuff from both universes. The plan is to pick up after the Reaper War. Shepard will appear along with some other old favourites. They will play substantial roles and not be limited to a few appearances (like Aria) since I like the idea of writing about those characters as well as Rassen and Shaela.**

 **Mass Effect and SWTOR include plenty of player choices so in the spirit of that, I have a question for everyone who is still reading. The plan is for Shepard to be male, paragon and to go with the best possible destroy outcome from ME3. The thing I can't decide on is who Shepard's love interest should be and I know that for some people that is very important.**

 **It will factor into the story and I have three main candidates:**

 **One: Tali. This is my personal favourite love interest from the trilogy. Anything I could say has already been said about how awesome she is.**

 **Two: Liara. Another great character. Likewise everything that could be said has been already.**

 **Three: Kasumi Goto. Not a love interest in the games, but a really fun and likeable character with depth. There would have to be more build up then if I went with Tali or Liara, but there are relatively few long fics with a Shepard/Kasumi pairing. I really like the idea of giving this one a try if people are interested. As Kasumi is a DLC character I can understand if people aren't however.**

 **This isn't a poll because I would like to know** _ **why**_ **you might prefer one to the other two, as opposed to me just picking the most popular option. If anyone has another character in mind then please explain why as well. I've only beaten the trilogy twice, the first time with a Liara romance and the second with a Tali one. I'm currently in the middle of my third play through where I've gone with Miranda but obviously haven't finished the arc yet, as I'm still working through ME2. All of my games have been with male Shepards. Therefore I haven't listed the other possible love interests as I don't know their romance back-stories all that well.**

 **TL;DR: Thank you everyone once again and I hope to see you around for the sequel. Please let me know who Shepard's love interest should be if you have a particular preference.**

 **Keelah se'lai and may the Force be with you.**

 **Mandalorian Runescaper**

 **PS: Bioware have confirmed that there will be more Mass Effect games! Is that a good thing or not? I hope that the series can recover after the dual hits of ME3's ending and ME:A, but what do you think?**

 **Edit: 05/11/18: If anybody is on the fence about reviewing since this fic is finished, please don't be! I'm currently writing the sequel and respond to any reviews for this fic there. Any feedback is welcome about anything at any time and I always respond to reviews/PMs.**


	20. Sequel Announcement

**Sequel Announcement**

The first chapter of the sequel to False Masks is now available. It's up much earlier than I expected since I found I couldn't stay away from writing for too long. I hope you enjoy it and as always, please feel free to let me know what you think!


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